Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he had called on SpaceX owner Elon Musk to expand the capabilities of the Starlink satellite internet service in areas where Russian ballistic missile launchers are located, so that Ukraine could strike them.
Stubb made this statement in an interview with Reuters in New York, where world leaders have gathered for the annual UN General Assembly session. According to him, access to Starlink in such areas could be used by Ukraine for strategic purposes.
"That's why ... I plead that Elon Musk would give the Ukrainians the possibility to use Starlink in areas where there are ballistic missile launchers, either in the occupied territory of Ukraine or in Russia for strategic purposes because that would save lives," Stubb said.
The President of Finland noted that, ahead of winter, Ukraine is facing an acute shortage of air defense systems to protect against Russian ballistic missiles.
Speaking about Ukraine's preparations for winter, Stubb identified three essential components: air defense, energy infrastructure, and funding: "One is air defenses and even Starlink would be to a certain extent a good air defense there. And the second one is energy installations for the winter."
Stubb added that Finland is working on a winter aid package for Ukraine, as he does not expect the war to end before the onset of winter.
At the same time, the Finnish president welcomed the resumption of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in August—involving the United States—following visits by American officials to Moscow and Kyiv.
"I still think that the easiest solution would be to call an unconditional ceasefire, basically stop the killing, as President Trump reiterated in his speech in the UN General Assembly," the agency quoted him as saying.
