In an interview, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said “I know we won’t have a problem” keeping the service active, citing “personal communication” between Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov and Musk.
Fedorov “is responsible for digitization and he has a direct connection with Elon Musk. They have personal communication, and Mykhailo was really positive” about the situation when they last discussed the matter, Reznikov said.
Fedorov has repeatedly thanked Musk on Twitter for deliveries of Starlink terminals, which connect small satellite dishes to a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access to civilians and troops across Ukraine.
The Pentagon is considering paying for the Starlink satellite network from a fund that has been used to provide long-term weapons and equipment, two US officials involved in the deliberations tell POLITICO, suggesting that the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative could be a good vehicle for the money.
There are other service options beyond SpaceX, although Starlink operates in Ukraine on a much larger scale than any other internet provider. Viasat, a California-based satellite communications company, said on Friday it was providing support in Ukraine and the region, including providing free Wi-Fi to Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.
Reznikov said that “if it’s just a question of money, we have at least three sources. It could come from the Pentagon package supporting Ukraine, there is also a kitty in Europe,” or private donors could step in.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuanian Foreign Minister offered this week that a coalition of European countries could be created to fund Starlink satellite Internet service in Ukraine.
But regardless of its funding, Reznikov said Ukraine “will continue our communication at a technical level with Elon Musk’s company.”
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