Elon Musk did not allow Ukrainian troops to use Starlink to attack the Russian fleet in Crimea. US senators intend to investigate what happened so that henceforth “US foreign policy will be determined by the White House, and not by one billionaire.”
The US Senate is set to investigate SpaceX after the private space company’s CEO, Elon Musk, did not allow Ukrainian troops to use the Starlink satellite communications network to attack the Russian navy in Russian-annexed Crimea. This was stated by Democratic Senator and member of the Armed Services Committee Elizabeth Warren on the evening of Monday, September 11.
“Congress needs to investigate what happened here and whether we have adequate tools to ensure that foreign policy is driven by the government and not by one billionaire,” Bloomberg news agency quoted Warren as saying. According to the agency, Musk, along with the heads of other large technology companies, will take part in closed hearings in the Senate on September 13 .
Warren also called on the Pentagon to examine its contracts with SpaceX. Her position was supported by the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Democrat Jack Reed. He expressed concern about the current situation, pointing out that satellites are usually controlled by governments, and decisions on their operation are made by presidents.
Ukraine’s access to Starlink
Ukraine gained access to Starlink almost immediately after the Russian armed invasion . According to The New York Times (NYT), by July 2023, Kyiv had received over 42 thousand Starlink terminals.
The situation that displeased the senators occurred in 2022. The New York Times wrote about her in the summer, citing sources. The biography of Elon Musk , which will be released on September 12, confirms this fact.
Musk biographer Walter Isaacson writes that when Ukrainian underwater drones approached the Russian ships, they lost contact and were thrown ashore. Musk decided to cut off communications out of fear that Russia would retaliate with nuclear weapons, an opinion he formed after conversations “with senior Russian officials,” the book says.
Elon Musk’s reaction
In a conversation with a biographer, Musk noted that Starlink was not conceived “to participate in wars,” the satellites, according to him, were put into orbit to provide access to streaming services, educational portals, so that people could “do good peaceful deeds, not carry out drone strikes.”
The businessman insists that the Starlink connection did not work near Crimea and therefore he could not turn it off. At the same time, the billionaire admitted that he did not agree, at the request of the Ukrainian authorities, to urgently turn it on “all the way to Sevastopol,” considering that this was an attack on the Russian fleet. If communications were enabled, he suggested, it would involve Space X in a major act of war and escalation of conflict, which would be against its rules.
“Our terms of service clearly prohibit the use of Starlink for offensive military operations, since we are a civilian system, so they (Ukrainian authorities – Ed. ) again asked for something that was expressly prohibited,” Musk explained.
Putin – about Mask
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum on September 12, called Elon Musk an outstanding person, an active and talented businessman. “As for private business, Elon Musk is certainly an outstanding person. An active, talented businessman. He does a lot, including with the support of the American state,” the Russian president said.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk emphasized his loyalty to the United States of America. “I am a US citizen and I only have one passport. No matter what happens, I will fight for America and die for it. The US Congress did not declare war on Russia. If anyone is a traitor, it is those who call me a traitor “, said the head of SpaceX.
Source : DW
