Elon Musk’s actions regarding Ukraine have been nothing short of a national security liability, demonstrating a dangerous level of influence over global conflicts while cozying up to Russian interests.
His refusal to allow Starlink to facilitate Ukrainian military strikes in occupied Crimea and his alleged conversations with the Kremlin have effectively turned him into an enabler of Russian aggression.
Now, with reports that Starlink access could be revoked unless Ukraine signs a deal relinquishing mineral rights, it is clear that Musk’s control over critical infrastructure is a threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The Trump administration’s failure to properly support Ukraine, despite its rhetorical posturing, only exacerbated Kyiv’s dependency on private entities like Musk’s Starlink. Trump’s impeachment over his attempt to extort Ukraine for political gain in 2019 foreshadowed how little he actually cared about the country’s survival. The failure to secure long-term, reliable defense and communications support forced Ukraine into a vulnerable position where it relied on a megalomaniacal billionaire whose whims now jeopardize its war effort.
Eutelsat’s potential replacement of Starlink is a smart and necessary move. Unlike Musk’s private fiefdom, Eutelsat operates under European regulatory oversight, making it far less susceptible to the personal politics and whims of a single individual. Its ability to deploy OneWeb’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites alongside traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites provides a robust, layered solution that enhances resilience against Russian cyber warfare and signal jamming. With European institutions backing its expansion into Ukraine, this transition would remove Musk’s chokehold over Ukraine’s battlefield communications and ensure that Ukrainian forces remain connected without interference from an erratic, Kremlin-friendly billionaire.
Starlink, once a vital asset, has become a liability. Musk’s reluctance to support Ukraine’s offensive operations, his flirtation with pro-Russian narratives, and now the mineral rights extortion prove that he cannot be trusted with critical wartime infrastructure. Ukraine cannot afford to remain dependent on a man who sees global conflicts as an opportunity for business leverage and personal grandstanding. Eutelsat’s entrance into the battlefield not only secures Ukraine’s communications but also signals a decisive shift away from Musk’s increasingly compromised influence.
Musk’s willingness to undermine Ukraine’s war effort while indulging Russian propaganda should result in severe consequences. His control over military-grade communications infrastructure must be stripped, and any Western government still pretending he is a reliable partner should reassess immediately. The lesson here is that no single private entity should wield this level of power over global security. Ukraine’s move to secure alternative providers ensures that its forces remain operational without the interference of a tech oligarch who prioritizes his ego over democracy.
