Finnish President Alexander Stubb has urged SpaceX owner Elon Musk to expand Starlink satellite internet coverage for Ukraine to areas inside Russia where ballistic missile launchers are located.
Stubb said in an interview in New York on Thursday that access to Starlink in those areas could help Ukraine target Russian launchers and save lives.
With winter approaching, Ukraine faces a shortage of air defence systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Ukrainian officials believe expanded Starlink coverage could help target mobile launchers located within several hundred kilometres of the border.
“That’s why … I plead that Elon Musk would give the Ukrainians the possibility to use Starlink in areas where there are ballistic missile launchers, either in the occupied territory of Ukraine or in Russia for strategic purposes because that would save lives,” Stubb said.
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Musk activated Starlink over Ukraine shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The service has since become an important tool for Ukraine’s battlefield communications and drone operations. Starlink does not currently operate over Russian territory.
Stubb said Ukraine needed three things ahead of winter: air defence, energy infrastructure and financial support.
He also backed an unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, followed by negotiations on security, territory, reconstruction and compensation.
Stubb said the conflict could potentially be frozen along the line of contact with 30-kilometre buffer zones on both sides. He added that another option would be a partial ceasefire covering energy and grain-related targets.
