Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was concerned about SpaceX’s manipulation of the Starlink satellite system, which made Ukraine’s defense more difficult, and suggested that reports of Elon Musk’s involvement show why he is focused on making Canada less dependent on any one country or technology. UNN reports this, citing Bloomberg.
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The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Musk ordered the speed of the military version of Starlink to be limited, hindering the capabilities of Ukraine’s defense forces in the fight against Russia. The Journal also reported that U.S. President Donald Trump called Musk to ask him to lift these restrictions.
"I’m looking for the right adjective to describe the person who made this decision, or the group of people who made this decision against a country—and this is against a country that is literally fighting for the lives of its citizens against open aggression," the Canadian prime minister told reporters in Istanbul on Friday, October 23. "So, are we concerned? Yes, we are concerned."
Carney said the incident shows why his government is focused on diversifying Canada’s trade relations, particularly in technology, in order to strengthen the country’s sovereignty.
"As Canadians, we do not want to find ourselves in a situation where we depend on a single supplier that can change its point of view, or where we can be forced to change our point of view by a single nation-state that puts Canadians at risk or threatens our sovereignty," Carney said.
But the diversification process will take time, since "we are starting from a position where we are very, very dependent on certain systems in certain countries."
Carney’s visit is the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey and is part of his government’s efforts to expand Canada’s diplomatic and trade relations, as U.S. tariffs continue to harm some of its industries, the publication writes.
Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing to ask Canada and the United Kingdom to increase their support for Ukraine to help address a funding shortfall, according to a report by Politico.
EU to call on Canada and Britain to increase funding for Ukraine - report21.10.26, 08:19
Carney said that Canada "does not need the EU to carry out these requests" and that his government is working directly with Ukraine, adding that he had spoken with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the past week, including about the situation with Starlink.