Ukrainian group in US opposes Starlink expansion due to Musk's Russia ties
The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), a U.S. nonprofit, has taken action to block the tech company SpaceX from placing nearly 22,500 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit, CNBC reported on Dec. 5.
The group cited concerns over SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's "contacts with Russia and the alleged use of his Starlink system by Russian forces in Ukraine."
Musk, a billionaire and close ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has made controversial statements about the war in Ukraine and has allegedly held secret calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials.
The UCCA, which represents Ukrainian-Americans, filed a petition to deny and motion for stay with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Dec. 4, urging the agency to conduct further review before allowing SpaceX to launch 22,488 additional Starlink satellites.
"There is a necessity to determine if Starlink has been used to help a foreign adversary," UCCA President Michael Sawkiw, Jr., told CNBC.
"If yes, this is not in the national security interest of Ukrainian-Americans, or of the entire country."
In its petition to the FCC, the UCCA also referenced environmental considerations and conflict-of-interest issues arising from Musk's involvement in the incoming Trump administration.
SpaceX began providing Starlink terminals to Ukraine shortly after the full-scale invasion, giving Kyiv a crucial communications advantage on the battlefield. While SpaceX does not sell units to Russia directly, Russian troops in Ukraine continue to obtain Starlink terminals through shadowy supply chains and intermediaries.
The Russian military's illegal use of Starlink terminals has contributed to territorial losses in Ukraine, including the fall of Vuhledar, the Washington Post reported in October.
Musk has denied selling any Starlink units to Russia and said that Starlink would not connect to any devices there.
Democratic senators recently called for an investigation into Musk's involvement in SpaceX programs due to reports that he held secret conversations with Putin and other Russian officials.
SpaceX currently holds billions of dollars in U.S. government contracts with the Pentagon and NASA, and has a $1.8-billion intelligence community contract to develop a spy satellite network. The Pentagon financially supports Starlink access for the Ukrainian military.
Martin Fornusek
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