Italy puts Starlink talks on hold after Musk's controversial remarks
Photo: American billionaire Elon Musk (Getty Images)
Italy has paused talks with SpaceX regarding Starlink. This decision was made following comments from the company's CEO, American billionaire Elon Musk, reports la Repubblica, citing Italy's Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto.
When asked by a journalist whether the Italian government was still committed to the deal with Starlink, Crosetto replied that "everything has been suspended."
"It appears to me everything has paused, also because the discussion has gone from Starlink to statements from and on the person. We’re not talking about the technical details. When the controversy quietens down, there will be a technical approach. The main point remains: what is most useful and secure for the nation," the minister explained.
Italy's deal with SpaceX
Earlier, it was reported that a potential deal between the Italian government and Starlink had been announced at the beginning of the year. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had been trying to maintain good relations with the administration of the new president, Donald Trump, and directly with Musk.
However, the Italian opposition has recently been actively criticizing the government's intention to sign a major deal with SpaceX. Opposition politicians called for the cancellation of further negotiations. They directly referenced Musk's threats to turn off Starlink for Ukraine, which relies on it for defense against Russian aggression.
Musk hints at disconnecting Starlink in Ukraine
On March 9, billionaire Elon Musk posted a message stating that Starlink is the backbone of the Ukrainian military. He suggested that if he were to disconnect the service, the Ukrainian front would collapse.
Later, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to the tweet, stating that if this happened, Poland would terminate its contract with Musk. He also noted that Poland is paying for Starlink for Ukraine.
For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that no one threatened to cut off Starlink for Ukraine. Responding to Sikorski, he urged him to say thank you because without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost, and Russian troops would have been on the border with Poland.
Later that same day, Musk promised not to disconnect Ukraine from Starlink.
