Paul Krugman called for public ownership of Starlink, saying a reported disruption to Ukraine’s military Starlink service showed the risks of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s control over it.
In a Friday, Nov. 13, post on Substack, Krugman said Ukraine had reported another interruption. He did not name a Ukrainian official or provide details about the incident. Krugman accused Musk of using Starlink to help Russia’s campaign against Ukraine and called for the network to be placed in public hands.
Krugman also linked the episode to his criticism of hard-right figures, whom he said favor authoritarian politics. He framed Musk’s control of Ukraine’s military Starlink service as an issue of concentrated power during wartime.
The argument follows earlier disputes over Starlink access in Ukraine, including a reported request by President Donald Trump for Musk to lift restrictions. The Wall Street Journal reported the request, citing U.S. officials. U.S. and Ukrainian officials told The Wall Street Journal that performance improved after the conversation; some Ukrainian officials told the Journal the service had not returned to full functionality.
