_djo_

This is the first step in having a Ukrainian-controlled alternative to Starlink & Starshield, which will be arbitrary restricted any time Musk and the Trump administration are upset with you.

Between this, Eutelsat’s existing constellation, and the upcoming IRIS² and Project Bromo constellations both Ukraine and the rest of Europe should be able to be completely independent of Starlink & Starshield.

Though, predictably, the US is warning European countries of serious but unspecified ‘consequences’ should they do this.

I assume spammers have become adept at stripping anything between + and @ in email addresses, so this isn't as reliable as properly masked addresses.

What does the condition of South Africa have to do with her? She doesn't run it and never has.

Though South Africa is, since 1994, a peaceful neighbour that has worked steadfastly to end and prevent wars on the African continent. Unlike the situation during Apartheid.

If you regard The Economist as far left I can only assume your politics are so far to the right that you no longer know where the centre is.

It is, and always has been, a socially liberal centre-right pro-business pro-Capitalism news magazine.

What kind of evidence are you expecting? Detailed photographs of the satellites on orbit?

These are credible institutions, with their statements regarding unusual orbital movements backed up by observations made by several independent groups.

If they did, then all three are equally guilty of breaching the treaty and making weapons in space a new norm. That's plausible, sure.

If they didn't, it makes sense why they'd choose to compete on the same playing field now, as the norm is already broken.

None of what I'm posting is about saying the US are the 'good guys' here. Neither the US, Russia, nor China are 'good' for creating a new space arms race that puts everyone at more risk. It might be something we can understand from a purely rational perspective while disliking that it's happening.

To be fair, this move is coming after fairly strong evidence that Russia and China have been breaking the treaty by deploying weapons into space for years. Which the US has highlighted many times in the past.

At some point you have to acknowledge that the treaty is no longer being respected, and match capabilities to avoid being left at a disadvantage.

That said, I'm sure there were tons of people in the US military establishment who had been pushing for this for decades and were ecstatic at being allowed to do it at a broad scale.

Human rights violations, violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, violations of related UNSC Resolutions, sponsorship of terrorism, and many others.

We can wholeheartedly disagree with the US's war on Iran without pretending Iran is a 'good' international actor. It's a rogue state and has been for decades.