Elon Musk has said that China expressed disapproval of Starlink’s deployment in Ukraine.
At the start of Russia’s invasion, Moscow tried to sever Ukraine’s communications. Russian forces targeted satellite providers such as Viasat, causing outages that spread to neighbouring countries and raising concerns about broader escalation.
Starlink was rapidly deployed across Ukraine to help maintain communications for the military, prevent isolation of communities, and document Russia’s actions.
Talked to @elonmusk. I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds. Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities. Discussed possible space projects 🚀. But I’ll talk about this after the war.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 5, 2022
In an interview with the Financial Times, Musk said Beijing made its displeasure clear.
“Musk says Beijing has made clear its disapproval of his recent rollout of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite communications system, in Ukraine to help the military circumvent Russia’s cut-off of the internet,” the FT reported in its interview with him.
China has officially maintained a neutral diplomatic stance on the conflict, but if Musk’s account is accurate, Beijing may have privately leaned toward Russia.
Musk has been at the center of controversy for other comments, including suggesting that Ukraine cede territory—specifically Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014—as part of a peace settlement.
Ukraine-Russia Peace:
– Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.
– Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).
– Water supply to Crimea assured.
– Ukraine remains neutral.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
He has also made remarks about Taiwan’s status—another sensitive issue involving Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to achieve reunification. Observers say China is closely watching the international response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine to inform its own strategic calculations.
Musk’s comments on Taiwan drew praise from some Chinese officials:
I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question… https://t.co/KYH1Gsu3Um
— Qin Gang 秦刚 (@AmbQinGang) October 8, 2022
And his proposal was criticized by Taiwanese officials:
Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale. Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan.
— Bi-khim Hsiao 蕭美琴 (@bikhim) October 8, 2022
One reason Beijing may have opposed Starlink’s deployment in Ukraine is the strategic value of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks in wartime. LEO constellations can restore or maintain connectivity quickly, limiting an adversary’s ability to isolate a country during conflict.
Former UK government adviser Dominic Cummings has said that the ability to reestablish communications rapidly was among the factors behind the UK’s decision to acquire LEO operator OneWeb in 2020.
the capability to do this sort of thing was one of the reasons we discussed for doing OneWeb summer 2020, it cd be a powerful new capability for UK https://t.co/MaZZnNtEIq
— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) February 27, 2022
As geopolitical tensions rise and powerful states threaten smaller neighbours by force, LEO satellite services have become increasingly important. These constellations provide critical communications that help defend sovereignty, support civilian resilience, and uphold democratic values during conflicts.
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