Mark Rutte calls on NATO allies to step up support for Ukraine’s air defense following Starlink restrictions

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday in Tallinn that the Alliance’s member states must “do more” to support Ukraine, particularly in the field of air defense. The appeal comes amid an intensification of Russian attacks and reported restrictions on certain Starlink services used by the Ukrainian military.

Rutte said that, as winter approaches, the allies must strengthen their support for Ukraine, given that “Russia’s aggression shows no signs of diminishing.” He made the statement after Ukrainian authorities accused Elon Musk’s company SpaceX of limiting access to certain Starlink services, affecting long-range attack drone missions.

Russian air strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure killed seven people overnight and left approximately 600,000 people without electricity. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of ignoring U.S. President Donald Trump’s appeal for a ceasefire regarding attacks on infrastructure.

Rutte also condemned the attacks against civilians and Russia’s hybrid campaign against NATO allies. He argued that these actions would not “weaken the determination” of the member states to continue supporting Ukraine and rejected the idea that threats and sabotage operations could intimidate the Alliance.