Ukraine seeks new Starshield deal with US as contract nears expiration in 2027
Ukraine is seeking urgent talks with the United States on renewing its access to the Starshield military satellite network, with the current contract due to expire in mid-2027, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said.
Denys Sienik, chargé d'affaires at Ukraine's embassy in Washington, told the Defense Writers Group on November 5 that Kyiv wanted to clarify whether the arrangement could continue and under what conditions, Reuters reported.
"The contract expires next year for Starshield. And we understand that it requires time to negotiate a new one," Sienik said. "Now is actually the time."
"We want to have clarity, basically, if we can proceed and what the terms of reference will be," he added.
Sienik did not specify the exact expiration date, saying only that the contract would end around the middle of 2027.
Starshield is a military satellite communications service provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX to the US government, distinct from the company's commercial Starlink network.
October restrictions disrupted Ukrainian operations
The urgency of the negotiations follows an unexplained disruption in October, when speed restrictions were suddenly imposed on Starshield terminals used by Ukrainian forces.
According to Ukrainian military officials, the restrictions hampered efforts to intercept Russian attack drones and forced some operations to be canceled.
Sienik said Kyiv had sought explanations from the Pentagon, the White House and SpaceX but received none.
"Nobody provided answers," he said.
The White House previously denied ordering the restrictions, attributing them to a technical malfunction. Subsequent media reports suggested that Musk had ordered the limitations amid tensions over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Musk has said that Starshield is controlled by the US government.
On October 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara reported that Starlink and Starshield services had been restored to speeds sufficient for military operations.
The incident added to concerns in Kyiv over the reliability of US support, including reported interruptions in intelligence sharing and delays in deliveries of missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems.
Speaking to German broadcaster ZDF this week, Zelenskyy acknowledged SpaceX's contribution to Ukraine's defense while criticizing Musk's position on the war.
"We are grateful to SpaceX for providing us with connectivity. That was very helpful at the beginning of the war," Zelenskyy said.
"But we must be very clear about this: we certainly do not like his position on this war."
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