Italy’s defense minister, Guido Krosto, said on Saturday that negotiations between the Italian government and the Internet provider from Elon Musk, the satellite, Starlink, have stopped, highlighting the broader geopolitical tensions.
The government of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was holding talks with Starlink as a potential provider of cryptocurrencies between government officials, diplomats and defense employees in the areas at risk. Crosto told La Repubblica that the discussions that initially focused on the technical aspects were overwhelmed by political concerns.
“It seems to me that everything has reached some extent,” said Crossito.
The sources indicate that Roma was considering a five -year contract worth 1.5 billion euros ($ 1.62 billion) with Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk’s Spacex, which runs 6700 low -orbit satellites. However, the deal faced political resistance, as legislators opposed whether Italy should have pledged a national security contract to a foreign businessman who is closely in line with US President Donald Trump.
Crosetto suggested that once political tensions calm down, discussions will return to a technical evaluation of the project. “The point is: What is the most useful and safe for the nation,” emphasized.
Starlink, which has been providing services in Italy since 2021, is still a dominant player in the Internet of satellite. Whether the Italian government will move forward with the deal or explore the alternative service providers.
