- The EU is mulling paying for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite tv for pc web service in Ukraine, per Politico.
- EU officers are frightened that SpaceX might minimize web service for Ukraine on a whim.
- SpaceX had earlier requested the Pentagon to fund the Starlink service in Ukraine on account of prices.
The European Union is contemplating paying for Elon Musk’s Starlink web providers in Ukraine — a service key for wartime communication — over fears the billionaire might minimize it off abruptly, Politico reported Monday.
The problem was raised by the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell at a Monday EU assembly of overseas ministers, Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Lithuanian overseas minister, instructed Politico. The discussions are at an early stage.
That is days after CNN reported that Elon Musk’s SpaceX had requested the Pentagon to fund the satellite tv for pc web service in Ukraine, on account of prices. The corporate expects the price of working Starlink in Ukraine to come back as much as greater than $120 million for the remainder of 2022 and practically $400 million for 2023.
On Monday, Musk tweeted that SpaceX has withdrawn the request.
Starlink continues to be a loss-making enterprise, Musk mentioned in a earlier tweet, including SpaceX will “simply hold funding” the web service in Ukraine anyway.
—Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2022
However there are nonetheless considerations inside the EU that Ukraine’s web connectivity could possibly be minimize off at his whim, the FT reported.
“In the meanwhile, let’s be joyful that he’s paying for it. However we should be on the protected aspect,” an unnamed EU official instructed the FT. “The Ukrainians are very frightened that he’ll nonetheless minimize it off.”
Lithuania’s Landsbergis instructed Politico that Ukraine’s web entry should not depend upon a “super-powerful” particular person who might “get up in the future and say, ‘That is not what I really feel like doing and that is it.'”
It might be higher for a coalition of nations to signal an contract with SpaceX in order that the corporate can proceed offering web entry to Ukraine on an official foundation, Landsbergis instructed Politico.
EU officers instructed the FT they may discover different satellite tv for pc providers.
An EU spokesperson instructed Insider the bloc acknowledges “SpaceX’s resolution to proceed funding the subscription price of the Starlink terminals, thereby revisiting his earlier announcement to cease the service. These techniques are important to offer the Ukrainian individuals with web providers wherever the latter have been destroyed by Russia.”
SpaceX didn’t reply to requests from Insider for remark which had been despatched exterior common enterprise hours.
Controversy over Musk’s peace plan for Ukraine
The developments surrounding Starlink’s providers in Ukraine got here after the billionaire on October 4 tweeted a vote for peace plan that included recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea. A Ukrainian diplomat blasted Musk’s controversial proposal, tweeting “Fuck off is my very diplomatic reply to you.”
In response to a tweet on October 14 about SpaceX’s request to the Pentagon to pay for Starlink’s service in Ukraine, Musk mentioned SpaceX was simply “following” that diplomat’s suggestion.
—Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
The corporate began sending Starlink terminals in February following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
SpaceX has despatched some 25,300 SpaceX terminals to Ukraine, Musk mentioned in a tweet on Monday. However “solely 10,630 are paying for service,” he added.
