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Ukraine's disconnection from Starlink would set Ukraine back to last century — newspaper

If Washington cuts the system, it could also lead to a conflict with Poland, which is currently paying for 20,000 terminals on the network for Kiev's use

MADRID, March 6. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces will revert to the last century in terms of combat operations if the country is disconnected from the Starlink system, Spain's El Mundo reported.

According to the newspaper, the network is essential for Kiev to ensure communication. If Washington decides to disconnect Ukraine from Starlink, it will be "blinded" in terms of receiving intelligence. This means that "the US will return Ukraine to the 20th century war," the newspaper said.

If Washington cuts the system, it could also lead to a conflict with Poland, which is currently paying for 20,000 terminals on the network for Kiev's use. At the same time, according to the newspaper, the US seems to see no issue in coming into conflict with long-time allies. It is specified that the French group Eutelsat and several European countries are exploring the possibility of replacing the telecommunications services provided by Starlink.

Reuters earlier quoted sources as saying that the US was considering cutting Ukraine off from Starlink as a measure to pressure Kiev into agreeing to a bilateral deal on rare earths. The news agency said that the issue of granting Ukraine continued access to Starlink had already been raised by Washington in talks with Kiev after Vladimir Zelensky rejected the initial proposal by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.