Europe is preparing an alternative to Starlink for Ukraine: what is known about the EU initiative

Amid the unstable relations between Ukraine and the US, in particular in the field of access to satellite technologies, the European Union is preparing to offer Kyiv an alternative to the American Starlink system. The focus is on the European Commission's GovSatCom initiatives and the future IRIS² satellite constellation, which should provide secure and stable communication for the needs of governments and critical infrastructure.

This is stated in the RBC-Ukraine article “Europe instead of Musk. Will Ukraine be able to find an alternative to Starlink”. In particular, the European Commission spokesperson for technological sovereignty, research, space and defense, Thomas Rainier, stated that the EU is ready to support Ukraine through the GovSatCom platform. This decision is intended to partially replace the dependence on American satellite technologies, which became apparent after a number of incidents related to the restriction of access to Starlink.

In the long term, the European Union is betting on the large-scale IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) project. This is a multi-orbit satellite constellation that should ensure Europe’s strategic autonomy in the field of secure satellite communications. According to Rainier, IRIS² will become a key communication tool for EU government institutions and partner countries, including Ukraine.

The GovSatCom system is already operating within the framework of the EU Space Program and provides secure government communication services for EU member states. It is expected to become the basis for critical missions related to security, defense, humanitarian aid and crisis response. Ukraine is also included in the dialogue on expanding access to this system.

Providing Ukraine with alternative satellite communications is also a response to the general need to reduce Europe’s dependence on the United States. This has become especially relevant after the suspension of intelligence sharing with Kyiv under Donald Trump, which has raised concerns in European capitals.

It is worth noting that in addition to government initiatives, the European private sector has also joined the cause. The French company Eutelsat has been providing high-speed satellite internet in Ukraine for a year. Although there are currently fewer than a thousand Eutelsat terminals in the country - compared to approximately 50,000 Starlink terminals - the company plans to expand. The EU hopes that these efforts will contribute to strengthening Ukraine's digital infrastructure on a European basis.