U.S. lawmakers have called on the Pentagon to provide Ukraine with guarantees of access to Starlink and Starshield

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have called on Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth to extend the contract for the Starshield satellite system and restore full access to Starlink and Starshield for Ukraine following recent communication disruptions. Lawmakers emphasize that restrictions on satellite services could weaken Ukraine’s defense capabilities and pose additional risks to the civilian population.

Congress members have called for the restoration of satellite services without speed restrictions, ensuring the necessary geographic coverage—particularly over Russian territory—and guaranteeing a seamless transition from the commercial Starlink network to the government-run Starshield system.

According to the lawmakers, the Ukrainian military uses these systems to carry out critical missions.

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces rely on these services for command and control, intelligence sharing, battlefield communications, and the operation of unmanned systems,” they emphasized.

The letter also notes that a deterioration in communication quality, a reduction in geographic coverage, or interruptions in access to satellite services could negatively impact the course of hostilities.

According to the congressmen, such restrictions weaken Ukraine’s military capabilities, give Russian forces an operational advantage, and endanger the lives of civilians.

“Decisions regarding service availability, coverage areas, and effectiveness should not be left solely to the discretion of a private provider when they directly affect Ukraine’s ability to defend itself,” the lawmakers noted.

In addition to restoring full access to satellite communications, U.S. lawmakers called on the U.S. Department of Defense to assess the possibility of exercising the authorities provided for in Section I of the Defense Production Act.

This law allows the U.S. federal government to require companies to prioritize government contracts.

According to the lawmakers, these authorities should be considered in conjunction with existing contractual mechanisms. This, they said, would help ensure that Ukraine has reliable access to the necessary bandwidth, adequate service levels, and geographic coverage to conduct legitimate military operations.

In their statement, lawmakers also emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine for the security of the United States and Europe.

“The U.S. and Europe have made significant investments in Ukraine’s defense, as a Russian victory would jeopardize our security. These investments must not be undermined by disruptions to the communications infrastructure on which the Ukrainian military relies, if such disruptions can be avoided,” the congressmen concluded.

Thus, U.S. lawmakers are calling on the Pentagon to ensure the stability of satellite communications for Ukraine and to consider mechanisms that would reduce the risk of disruptions to Starlink and Starshield.

This is stated in a letter from U.S. lawmakers to the head of the Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Starlink and Starshield satellite communication systems began operating while moving at speeds exceeding 161 km/h. This was reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in a statement to the media.

As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump personally called SpaceX founder Elon Musk, demanding that he lift the speed and operational restrictions on Starshield—the military version of the Starlink satellite system for the Ukrainian military. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the situation with Starlink during the war in Ukraine has heightened Ottawa’s concerns about its dependence on foreign technology. He emphasized the need to diversify suppliers to protect the country’s sovereignty.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the operational speed of Starlink and Starshell has not yet been restored, and the delivery of interceptor missiles to defend against Russian ballistic attacks is being delayed.

For many years, U.S. authorities have asked SpaceX to either restrict or expand the operation of the Starlink satellite communication system in various countries, including Ukraine, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon.