Zelenskyy says he has asked Trump to sanction Russian and Chinese companies developing Starlink rival

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on his US counterpart Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russian and Chinese companies that he says are involved in developing the Rassvet satellite network, a potential competitor to Elon Musk's Starlink.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with the Financial Times; European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy said Russia has accelerated work on its own satellite network with China's support after Russian troops began using SpaceX's Starlink for military purposes.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "We know that China works on satellites, works on the possibility of helping Russia with a similar Starlink."

Details: Zelenskyy noted that Rassvet could become operational by "the end of the year, beginning next year".

According to the Ukrainian president, he has repeatedly asked Trump to impose sanctions on the companies involved in developing the system.

He noted that the issue was most recently raised during a meeting with Trump in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Background:

• The German Armed Forces have warned of a potential threat from a Starlink alternative that Russia is seeking to develop.
• It was also reported that Finnish President Alexander Stubb had approached SpaceX owner Elon Musk about expanding Starlink satellite internet coverage in Ukraine to support strikes against Russian ballistic missile launchers.

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