European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said the bloc cannot replace Starlink satellite communications in the short term and must urgently address gaps in its own defence capabilities.

Axar.az reports, citing Suspilne News, that speaking ahead of the second day of the European Council meeting in Brussels on October 16, Kallas said the European Defence Agency had identified critical capabilities and gaps that needed to be addressed.

“The question now is implementation, and we need to do this as quickly as possible because we need these capabilities ourselves,” she said.

Her remarks come after SpaceX introduced speed restrictions on Starlink terminals in Ukraine on October 14, affecting the StarShield military service.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the restrictions to be lifted. SpaceX owner Elon Musk said the speed limits were determined by the US government, while the White House denied involvement, according to the report.

On October 15, sources in Ukraine’s Defence Ministry told Suspilne that StarShield satellite communications had been restored at the front.