Ukraine wants to begin negotiations with Washington over continued access to SpaceX’s Starshield network before its U.S. government contract ends around mid-2027, because Kyiv says a replacement needs time, envoy Denys Sienik said.
Sienik, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, told the Defense Writers Group on Thursday that Kyiv wants to know whether access can continue and what terms would govern a new arrangement. He said negotiations take time.
Reuters reported that SpaceX supplies Starshield’s military service under a U.S. government contract and offers Starlink commercially worldwide. SpaceX chief Elon Musk said in an Oct. 24 post on X that the U.S. government controls Starshield.
Congressional scrutiny has also focused on the restrictions: four U.S. senators sought records from SpaceX about who handled the limits and who can change Ukraine’s access.
Separately, Ukrainian commanders encountered speed limits on Starshield in October, Reuters reported. The restrictions hampered Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian attack drones and led to some operations being canceled. Reuters said the episode highlighted Starshield’s military role in the war.
Sienik said Kyiv asked the Pentagon, White House and SpaceX for an explanation but had not received one. He did not name a date for opening discussions.
Reuters placed the Starshield issue among wider strains in Kyiv’s relationship with Washington. Ukraine said it experienced gaps in U.S. intelligence on Russian missile attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also criticized delays in resupplying Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems needed to defend against Russian attacks. Reuters noted that Ukraine has fought Russian forces since the invasion began in February 2022.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday, Zelenskiy thanked SpaceX for connectivity that had helped early in the war but criticized Musk’s position on the conflict, Reuters reported.
Sienik placed the contract expiry around mid-2027 without identifying a month. A date for the proposed talks was not announced.
