The EU sees no signs that the US has stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine

Starlink

MOSCOW, October 14. INTERFAX.RU - The European Union is examining reports about a slowdown in the operation of the Starlink communications system in Ukraine and so far sees no signs that the US has stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said, The Guardian reports.

"It is important to note that we have not seen any signs that the sharing of intelligence has stopped," she said.

She noted that the EC has reviewed reports about the slowdown in the operation of the Starlink satellite communications system, but believes that more information is needed before commenting on the situation.

Another EC spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, said at a briefing that the events in Ukraine clearly demonstrate that Europe's security also depends on space technologies.

"We are doing a lot in this direction and are certainly ready to provide Ukraine with comprehensive support," Regnier continued.

He recalled the European Union's Govsatcom secure government satellite communications system, which pools the satellite capacities of EU member states for joint use.

"Good news: the relevant platform has been created and launched in January of this year. It is already functioning with the participation of member states, and we are now looking for ways and negotiating with Ukraine for its full connection to the Govsatcom system. The second phase is planned for January or early next year. We will be able to supplement Govsatcom with commercial satellite capacities, which will allow us to meet the need for resources until 2029, when our constellation of more than 300 satellites under the Iris-2 program becomes fully operational," Regnier said.

He evaded a question about whether this satellite system could provide Ukraine with the same services offered by the StarShield platform - a militarized version of Starlink focused on secure government communications and space intelligence.

"We will not make comparisons. We also need to have full information. So let me simply remind you of what we are doing on our part. (...) It is providing basic communications needed to maintain connectivity. This can be implemented using the satellite capacities available to member states, since we are not starting from scratch. There are excellent satellite resources that can help Ukraine stay connected. This is one of the options available to us for meeting military needs and providing the relevant services," the EC representative explained.

Earlier, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that one should wait for more or less tangible information on this matter, he stated .

"We do not know what happened with Starlink. This is some fragmented information. Indeed, there is a lot of information that some restrictions have been (imposed) on the supply of intelligence information (to Ukraine), warning information about missile launches. But on the other hand, there have also been statements from Washington that assistance continues," he said.

A day earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that the US had not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.