The United States strategic turn is even impacting its most faithful allies on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Italy defense minister Guido Crosetto announced in An interview in The repubblica That the conversations with Starlink so that Elon Musk’s company will provide an encrypted communications system have been paralyzed. Crosetto said that the main reason for the freezing of negotiations was that it had gone from “Technical details to Musk’s statements“The contract was that Starlink would provide military communication systems and for the high positions of the Executive for an amount of 1.5 billion euros For five years.
This announcement is a strong turn in the Italian government’s strategy with respect to the White House and its most faithful allies. Giorgia MeloniChief of the Mediterranean Government, had tried to make a position like informal European ambassador Before Donald Trump, president of the United States. The affinities of the Roman and its party, brothers from Italy, with the current leaders of Washington were used by the president with the aim of calming the temperament of the New Yorker and Avoid a commercial war. The Italian president was, in fact, one of the few European figures invited to Trump’s investiture.
Musk ties
Meloni has always maintained a close relationship with Elon Musk, second on board Trump. However, the idea that Italy hired Starlink services, a foreign company, to encrypt government communications and the army has armed A strong political scandal. The opposition He refused with ferocity And even the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, had slipped his doubts to the project.
The initial agreement was known in early January, when Giorgia Meloni visited Donald Trump in his personal residence in Florida. In the almost three months that mediate from that moment to the present, Geopolitics has changed sharply: Trump has entered as a donor, announcing tariffs to right and left; JD VanceUS Vice President, released a speech in Munich that shocked Europe and was a break in strategic relationships between Washington and the old continent; Musk has interfered in the policy of several European countries, and Peter HegeshSecretary of Defense, has disdained the role of the European Union in Peace Conversations about Ukraine.
All these messages from the United States have meant a massive mobilization of military resources by the EU, as well as the closure of rows of NATO allies, including Meloni, against Ukraine and the defense of Europe.
The precedent of Ukraine
Musk’s strategy is generating growing tensions in European citizenship, which puts its most staunch allies in a growing commitment. At the beginning of the month, the owner of Spacex said in X, his social network, which could disconnect Starlink satellites that operate in Ukraine if kyiv did not accept the fire with Russia. Starlink’s low orbit satellites have allowed to maintain coverage in large areas of Ukraine, including the front, allowing Coordinate military operations.
Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, He replied that it was the Polish government who was paying this service. Musk insulted Sikorski and Marco Rubiohead of American diplomacy, replied that “no one has threatened to disconnect Ukraine from the Starlink Network.” The rifirrafe through the social network of Musk Distrust increased towards the former American ally; Also in Italy.
Just to this Musk erratic policy It is the one that the Italian Defense Minister mentioned: “When the controversy and the times have calmed down, there will be a technical approach.” The preponderant role of the South African typáte in the US administration is dynamiting the prestige of brands such as Tesla, whose sales are sinking in Europe.
The European Starlink
Musk satellites are not the only possibility of encrypted communications, but it is one of the cheapest options. The other great project to which Italy could be hosted, although it is still in diapers, is the Iris program: a network of European satellites in which companies such as the Spanish participate Indra Through Hispasat and the French Eutelsat.
The European rearme wants channel financing to projects with European seal while trying to reduce the dependence of international contractors. It is expected that Europe prioritizes this project, which has The blessing of the European Unionand to which Italy could be added in the short term.
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