EU eyes Eutelsat's OneWeb as Starlink replacement in Ukraine
Reports from various media indicate that the Franco-British satellite services firm, Eutelsat, is in talks with the European Union to potentially replace Starlink in Ukraine with its OneWeb satellites. This development, reported by Reuters on Tuesday, March 4, points to the growing strategic alternatives considered in the region.
Eutelsat's stocks have soared, more than tripling in value over the past two days and adding over 1 billion euros to its market capitalization. “We are engaging in discussions with the EU on how we can contribute to Ukraine’s expansion efforts,” a representative from Eutelsat told Reuters, highlighting the company’s available geostationary satellite capabilities for certain regional applications.
Previously, the EU had also explored the possibility of utilizing Govsatcom as a Starlink substitute in Ukraine, indicating ongoing searches for satellite communication alternatives.
Eutelsat aims to deploy additional user terminals promptly. “We are actively collaborating with European institutions and business partners to ensure the swift deployment of additional user terminals for crucial missions and infrastructure,” Eutelsat representatives added.
On March 4, amid trading in Paris, Eutelsat shares saw a dramatic spike of 123 percent at one point, hitting 4.50 euros, as reported by Das Handelsblatt. Although the growth moderated later, it remained substantial at about 80 percent.
Despite these developments, Elon Musk refuted a February 22 Reuters article suggesting that the U.S. might cut Ukraine off from the Starlink network absent a deal on natural resources. “This isn’t true. Reuters is lying,” Musk stated on his social media platform, X.
Starlink's role was a discussion point during February 20 negotiations in Kyiv between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. The publication claimed Kellogg threatened an "imminent shutdown" of Starlink unless an agreement on rare earth metals was inked.
A clash emerged in the Oval Office supposedly on February 28 when reports surfaced claiming President Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance argued over halting all military aid to Kyiv. Trump reportedly accused Zelensky of ingratitude and a lack of readiness for peace, threatening to exit the negotiation process unless a deal was made. Zelensky reportedly left the talks prematurely without signing any resource agreement.
In a dramatic turn, reports from global and American media in the early hours of March 4 stated that President Trump had ordered the suspension of all military aid to Ukraine.