Vance says Starshield dispute comes down to US policy on Ukraine, Russia

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that questions surrounding Elon Musk’s Starshield military-grade satellite service and the war in Ukraine should be viewed in the context of the Trump administration’s broader policy toward Russia and Ukraine, rather than as an issue centered on Musk himself.

Asked whether he agrees with some Republicans who have called for an investigation after SpaceX Chairman Musk said decisions about its Starshield division would be made by the Pentagon or the president, Vance defended the billionaire’s position and emphasized the government’s responsibility for setting policy.

“I think that fundamentally, Elon Musk runs a private corporation, and I think it’s completely understandable that he doesn’t want to get in the middle of what is a war between two state actors without the United States government effectively directing him on what to do,” Vance told reporters before departing for a campaign rally in Nebraska for the Nov. 3 midterms.

"So, I don't think this is about Elon. I think it's fundamentally what is America's policy in Ukraine and Russia going to be."

Vance also criticized what he called European countries’ regulatory “war against” SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, which has played a role in providing satellite internet connectivity in Ukraine.

“I do find it a little ironic that the European countries, who of course have nothing like the technology that Elon has developed in Starlink and Stargaze, and just all of the internet service technologies that he’s developed with SpaceX, these countries have almost universally decided to wage regulatory and licensing war against SpaceX,” Vance said.

He added that European countries are now turning to the company for assistance, underscoring what he described as their dependence on American technological and military capabilities.

“European countries depend on American technology, American businesses, and the American military, while at the same time European political leaders love to bash the United States allies that they depend upon so much,” Vance said.

Diyar Güldoğan