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
Space Forge and Intuitive Machines team up to boost US orbital chip production
New Martian rock reveals clues about volcanic history on the Red Planet
Six Chinese universities to launch new low altitude space major this fall

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Tens of millions of tons of nanoplastics detected adrift in North Atlantic
Drone swarm explores turbulent airflows near wind turbines
Robot autonomously completes complex surgery guided by voice and video

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Airbus to develop advanced PAZ-2 radar satellites for Spanish defence and civil operations
Rocket Lab partners with Bollinger Shipyards to transform Neutron sea recovery platform
Russia fires 136 drones at Ukraine ahead of Trump-NATO head meeting

24/7 News Coverage
ICEYE satellite data accelerates flood relief in southern Brazil
Massive Boulders Ejected During DART Mission Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection Efforts
Peatland restoration shows measurable climate benefits in under a decade


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.