Space News from SpaceDaily.com
EU warns Russia of sanctions over any attack in space
Brussels, Belgium, Jan 29 (AFP) Jan 29, 2025
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Wednesday the bloc could hit back with sanctions against any attacks in space, pointing to hostile actions by Russia.

"We are already the targets of hybrid warfare. Including in space -- with systematic jamming of satellite navigation signals," Kallas told a conference in Brussels.

"There are risks to our satellites, the ground infrastructure, and our space industries from kinetic, electronic, and high-energy weapons. Espionage is a constant threat."

The former Estonian prime minister pointed as an example to Russia's firing of an anti-satellite missile and cyberattack on a space system just ahead of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

She sounded a warning to the EU's 27 nations, saying they must beef up their ability to respond to threats in space.

The EU needed to get better at monitoring and pinpointing those responsible, and could extend the bloc's mutual defence clause to cover space, she said.

"On retaliation, we are looking into punitive options," Kallas added, saying the EU could look to impose sanctions similar to those already applied to Russian intelligence agents over cyber attacks.

"We need to think about how best we can apply this to space."

While the EU faces aggressive rivals including Russia and China in space, Kallas insisted Europe must work together with the United States.

"The US is the EU's most important security partner on the ground. We must be allies in space too," she said.

"Space is clearly on the domestic US agenda. President (Donald) Trump said he wants to plant the stars and stripes on Mars."

The renewed call to bolster EU defences came after the bloc's space commissioner mooted bringing together the efforts of each member state into a coordinated "European Space Shield".


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
PLD Space selected as leading contender for ESA sovereign launch initiative
UK thermal satellite firm wins ESA contract to deliver real time climate and security insights
UK opens competitive bid for GBP 75 million orbital cleanup mission

24/7 Energy News Coverage
China speeds up renewables building spree: report
French giant EDF will take 12.5 pecent stake in new UK nuclear plant
Major US teachers union teams up with AI giants

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
BlackSky expands Gen-3 access to bolster Ukraine-focused intelligence operations
Maxar secures $205 million in multi-year deals to boost space capabilities across MEA
K2 Space validates satellite systems in orbit and fires record-breaking thruster

24/7 News Coverage
The long slow death of Norway's wild salmon
Beijing decries 'discriminatory' ban on Chinese purchases of US farmland
China's 'new farmers' learn to livestream in rural revitalisation


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.