Ukraine’s contract with the U.S. government for access to the Starshield satellite network expires in 2027, and negotiations on its extension are urgently needed. This was stated by Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires at the embassy in Washington, Denys Sienik, Reuters reports, as cited by UNN.
Details
According to him, Kyiv has still not received an explanation for the restriction of Starshield services last month.
The contract for Starshield expires next year. And we understand that negotiations on a new one take time. Now is exactly the time
He emphasized that Ukraine must have clarity on whether it will be able to extend the contract. At the same time, Sienik did not name the exact expiration date of the current contract, saying only that this would happen in the middle of next year.
Context
In October, instances of the Starshield satellite system slowing down in Ukraine became more frequent, which prompted congressmen to demand an investigation into Elon Musk’s actions.
According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, SpaceX founder personally ordered restrictions on the operation of the Starshield satellite system, which is used for Ukraine’s military needs.
Later, the Pentagon inspector general rejected a request from U.S. senators to investigate.
The day before, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations sent letters requesting the preservation of documents ahead of expected investigations into the actions of the Trump administration over the past two years, including Elon Musk’s actions regarding the slowing of Starshield operations in Ukraine.