Controversy Over Italy's Potential Starlink-Military Deal

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni clarified that she has not discussed using Elon Musk's Starlink for military communication projects worth 1.5 billion euros. She emphasized Italy's national interests as pivotal in such decisions amidst opposition concerns about involvement with SpaceX.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed the media on Thursday, stating that she never engaged in discussions with Elon Musk regarding a deal involving Starlink for secure military communications.

Despite a positive rapport with Musk, Meloni reiterated that Italy's national interest remains the guiding principle for any potential contracts with SpaceX, which owns Starlink.

The proposed project, valued at approximately 1.5 billion euros over five years, has faced criticism from opposition parties, who question the suitability of delegating such sensitive communications to a Musk-associated company. Meloni emphasized that discussions remain in an investigative phase, and she herself lacks clarity on the matter. She challenged whether the objections stem from SpaceX's private nature or Musk's political views.

(With inputs from agencies.)