On the foreign scene
Elon Musk has said that SpaceX’s recent restriction on the Ukrainian military’s use of its satellite internet service for drone control was to prevent the conflict from escalating into a world war.
Replying to a request from a former NASA astronaut to restore full access to the internet for Ukrainian forces, SpaceX CEO Musk tweeted late on Sunday that Starlink is the communication backbone of Ukraine, especially at the front lines, where almost all other internet connectivity has been destroyed. But they will not enable escalation of conflict that may lead to WW3.
The U.S. space company, founded by the billionaire entrepreneur, has been using its Starlink satellite internet service to keep Ukraine online since the beginning of the war, as Ukrainian infrastructure was severely damaged by Russian attacks.
Last week, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the service, which has been used by Ukrainian forces to control drones, was never meant to be weaponized, adding that the company had taken steps to curb its use, without spelling out what measures had been taken.
Shotwell also said that Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement.
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