EU Must Step Up as US Satellite Companies Abandon Ukraine

Renew Europe MEPs are calling for urgent action to reduce Europe’s dependence on Musk’s Starlink and other US space companies, as reports emerge that US firms are betraying the people of Ukraine.

Following threats from Elon Musk to cut Starlink access, it is now reported that Maxar has suspended Ukraine’s access to its satellite imagery services, allegedly under pressure from the Trump administration.

MEP Christophe Grudler, co-chair of the European Parliament’s Sky and Space Intergroup, warns of the growing risk of Ukraine losing access to critical intelligence:

“Reports that the Trump administration is sabotaging commercial services to Ukraine are deeply concerning. This puts innocent lives at risk and weakens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. We fear the next step could be a total shutdown of connectivity.”

Today, Ukraine still relies on Starlink for battlefield connectivity and US satellite intelligence for strategic awareness—but this dependency is increasingly fragile. The European Union must step up.

“The EU must increase its satellite intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The successful launch of the French CSO-3 observation satellite on Ariane 6 further strengthens our European capabilities,” said Grudler.

If Starlink or other US services are cut off, the EU must act immediately to secure Ukraine’s satellite access through two concrete steps:

1. Accelerating the “Govsatcom” initiative – This EU program pools governmental satellite capacities and will soon be operational, but must now be fast-tracked.

2. Mobilizing European commercial providers – The EU should immediately engage leading satellite operators such as Eutelsat/OneWeb, SES, and Hispasat to ensure continuous services for Ukraine’s military.

With the US wavering, Europe must take responsibility and ensure Ukraine’s uninterrupted access to strategic intelligence and connectivity. The capabilities exist—now we must act.