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Strategic Defence Initiative possible revival. Western components in every Russian missile. Macron and Starmer trying to convince Biden to give permission for long-range strikes. Should Ukraine rely on this permission at all given Zelenskyy’s claims of its own long-range weapons development.
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner-designate for Defence and Space, Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania answers your questions in an interview with our correspondent, UATV English reports.
— Trump plays, um, a Ronald Reagan of sorts, if you ask me, and declares that he can create a new air and space defense system based on the example of the Strategic Defense Initiative—you remember, space and everything. To what extent is it even technically possible? Or, more importantly, is it justified?
— Well, you know, space, of course, plays an important role in defense even now. The European Union is quite strong in using space installations, space programs, and space services for defense. I can just remind you that, in the so-called Galileo installation, the European Union’s space installation provides the best worldwide service on POS positioning, also known as GPS services.
Copernicus offers the best data on earth observation, which is also used by defense and security forces. Now, the EU is moving ahead with the so-called IRIS² project, which will provide very good and secure satellite communication services. All those programs are very important for modern defense. I don’t know what the new administration of the United States will do.
We can see that Elon Musk, a very well-known businessman developing important projects for the future of space exploration, is quite close to President Donald Trump. Perhaps he’ll bring new ideas and ambitious projects, but the European Union won’t be far behind these developments.
— Alright, I’ll take that as an answer, but is it possible—just yes or no—to use constellations like Copernicus and Galileo as weapons? Not just for defense, but as weapons for assault. Is that possible?
— Those installations can be considered weapons of intelligence and information, which are crucial for today’s defense capabilities. I don’t know what President Donald Trump is planning for new space projects, but we should be very careful.
If space starts to be used as a weaponized instrument for military operations, it could have challenging consequences.
Even now, we see that Russians and Chinese are showing their plans to use different tools to attack our space installations. That’s why defending space is becoming a very important next stage of our development, which we need to take seriously. If our adversaries or enemies destroy our space installations, both our civilian life and defense capabilities will be severely affected.
— Sure. Another question, somewhat related: Western components are found in nearly every Russian missile, including the one that recently killed a family in [location unclear]. Yet, we have to beg the West to let us strike back deep into Russian territory because weapons like the Storm Shadow contain American components. Can you comment on this absurd situation?
— These are two perhaps not very related topics. One is how sanctions are enforced and how Russians find ways to overcome these sanctions, using loopholes or third countries to gain access to advanced technologies.
The second is about the restrictions placed on weapons provided to Ukraine, where some countries prevent their use in full capacity. I believe Ukraine needs all the capabilities to defend itself.
Restricting Ukraine from using long-range missiles or not allowing strikes on Russian territory is a mistake.
Russia sees these restrictions as our fear of escalation, yet it escalates anyway. They’re bringing in troops from North Korea, which is the greatest escalation we’re facing. So, why are we still imposing restrictions on our side when Russia is escalating at every opportunity?
— Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. But I disagree when you say the topics are unrelated—the Western components in Russian missiles and our limitations to deter Russian aggression are connected. Let me move on to another question. Do you think Macron and [another leader] will manage to convince the U.S. to finally allow long-range strikes? Do you think this is even possible?
— I don’t know what the new administration will think. Some names appearing as future U.S. Secretary of State or National Security Advisor are individuals who strongly oppose authoritarian regimes, whether it’s Chinese aggression or Russian actions against Ukraine.
I hope they’ll be decisive in supporting Ukraine to become as powerful as possible. Ukraine needs a simple, unrestricted permission to use the weapons it receives, especially long-range missiles. It’s strange that Ukraine receives these missiles but then faces restrictions that limit their full power.
Given the escalation we’re seeing from Russia, such as bringing in North Korean troops, I hope the West will become more decisive and effective in helping Ukraine withstand these escalations.
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