Carney says Ukraine Starlink incident highlights risk of reliance on U.S. tech

Mark Carney said he’s concerned about the manipulation of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system that has made it harder for Ukraine to defend itself, and suggested Elon Musk’s reported involvement shows why he’s focused on making Canada less dependent on any one country or technology.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Musk ordered speed limits on the military-grade version of Starlink, hampering the ability of Ukraine’s defence forces in the battle against Russia. The Journal also said U.S. President Donald Trump called Musk to ask him to lift those restrictions.

“I search for the right adjective to describe whoever took this decision, or a group of people took this decision, against a country — and it’s against a country that is literally fighting for the lives of its citizens against naked aggression,” the Canadian prime minister told reporters in Istanbul on Friday. “So are we concerned? Yes, we are concerned.”

Carney said the incident shows why his government is focused on diversifying Canada’s trading relationships, including in technology, to bolster the country’s sovereignty.

“We as Canadians do not want to be caught in a situation where we are reliant on one provider that may change their view, or may be forced to change their view by one nation state, that puts Canadians at risk or compromises our sovereignty,” Carney said.

But the process of diversifying will take time because “we’re starting from a position where we’re highly, highly reliant on certain systems in certain countries.”

Kyiv depends on a version of Starlink to help its air defences and target artillery strikes. It’s a crucial piece of communications infrastructure as Russian President Vladimir Putin has been launching a wave of drone and missile strikes against Ukrainian cities.

Carney’s comments come as a group of U.S. House Democrats from Silicon Valley demanded the White House investigate the Starlink interruptions, according to a letter seen by CNBC.

The lawmakers called for an “immediate, government-wide investigation into the decision to restrict SpaceX’s Starshield satellite-based intelligence and military support services in Ukraine,” the news outlet reported. The letter added that these Democrats plan to make this a top priority if they win control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 3 midterm election.

Carney’s trip is the first official visit of a Canadian prime minister to Turkey, and is part of his government’s effort to broaden Canada’s diplomatic and trading relationships as U.S. tariffs continue to hurt some of its industries.

Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing to ask Canada and the United Kingdom to increase their support for Ukraine to help with a funding shortfall, according to a report from Politico.

Carney said that Canada “doesn’t need the EU to make those requests” and that his government deals with Ukraine directly, adding that he spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within the past week, including about the Starlink situation.

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