Finnish President Stubb asks Musk to expand Starlink coverage so Ukraine can strike Russian missile launchers
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in a Reuters interview in New York that he has asked Elon Musk to allow Starlink satellite internet to operate in areas where Russian ballistic missile launchers are based — including on occupied Ukrainian territory and inside Russia — arguing it would save lives. He framed Starlink as a partial substitute for the air-defence assets Ukraine lacks ahead of winter, and said allies are preparing a winter aid package because he does not see the war ending before then.
Key points
- Stubb made the appeal in an interview with Reuters during UN General Assembly week in New York.
- He wants Starlink coverage in areas hosting Russian ballistic missile launchers, including occupied Ukrainian territory and Russia.
- Stubb argued the move would 'save lives' and serve as a partial element of air defence.
- He listed three things Ukraine needs for winter: air-defence assets, energy infrastructure, and money.
- Stubb said allies are preparing a winter aid package and that he does not see the war ending before winter.
- He welcomed the August resumption of Russia–Ukraine peace talks under US mediation and echoed Trump's call for an unconditional ceasefire, followed by negotiations on security, territory, reconstruction, and compensation.
- Stubb also suggested freezing the conflict along the line of contact with a 30 km buffer zone, or a partial ceasefire covering energy and grain infrastructure.
Why it matters
Starlink has been critical to Ukrainian military communications, including drone control, since Musk activated it over Ukraine shortly after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. Whether the network is allowed to operate over Russian territory directly affects Kyiv's ability to hit the mobile ballistic missile launchers firing at its cities, and has become a point of negotiation between Ukraine, the White House and SpaceX.
What happened
Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Reuters in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, that he had appealed directly to Elon Musk to expand Starlink satellite internet coverage for Ukraine. The aim, he said, is to allow Starlink to function in areas where Russian ballistic missile launchers are positioned — on territory occupied by Russia and inside Russia itself — so Ukraine can target them. He described this as a strategic step that 'would save lives' and argued that Starlink could partly substitute for the air-defence capacity Ukraine lacks.
Stubb framed the coming winter as a critical test, listing three Ukrainian needs: air-defence assets, energy infrastructure, and money. He said he does not expect the war to end before winter and that Finland and other partners are working on a winter assistance package.
He welcomed the August resumption of Russia–Ukraine peace talks under US auspices, following visits by American envoys to Moscow and Kyiv, and said the simplest path forward would be an unconditional ceasefire — as called for by US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly — followed by negotiations on security, territory, reconstruction and compensation. He also outlined two possible interim arrangements: freezing the conflict along the line of contact with 30-kilometre buffer zones, or a partial ceasefire covering energy and grain export infrastructure.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All supplied coverage is Ukrainian. Ukrainian outlets framed Stubb's appeal in sympathetic, security-focused terms, emphasising Ukraine's acute shortage of air-defence assets before winter and amplifying Stubb's argument that expanding Starlink coverage would 'save lives.' The coverage situates Stubb's request inside an ongoing Ukrainian effort to obtain Musk's permission to use Starlink-equipped strike drones against Russian launchers.
How international sources describe it
The synthesis does not provide a separate international framing.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on Musk's and Trump's positions. One account, citing the Financial Times, says Musk is not opposed in principle to Ukraine using Starlink against military targets in Russia but considers the decision a political one for the US administration. Another account says Trump refused to support the request and declined to raise it with Musk. A third account reports Trump told Zelensky he needed to 'talk about this with Elon,' and that Zelensky said Trump later accused him of 'deceiving' him by claiming Musk had agreed.
Background
Starlink was activated over Ukraine shortly after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion and has since become vital to Ukrainian military communications, including drone control. The service does not operate over Russian territory, but Ukrainian officials believe enabling it there would allow strikes on mobile ballistic missile launchers positioned hundreds of kilometres from the border. Earlier in 2025, Musk responded to a request from then-Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov regarding Starlink use on Russian strike drones, and on 5 February Russian Starlink terminals reportedly stopped working en masse. In March 2025, Musk said he would never cut off Starlink for the Ukrainian military, even though he disagrees with Ukraine's policy, after his earlier statement that the Ukrainian front line would collapse if he did.