Executive Branch Decisions on Ukraine Loom, Including New Starshield Contract and F-16 Upgrades

Ukraine is seeking U.S. executive-branch decisions on a new contract for SpaceX’s Starshield military satellite communications service and potential Lockheed Martin upgrades for its older F-16 fighters. Ukrainian officials met with the White House on November 5, and Kyiv’s chargé d’affaires said the existing Starshield arrangement expires around mid-2027. Ukraine is pursuing renewal talks following October service restrictions that disrupted military operations. The F-16 proposal concerns aircraft already used for air defense and strikes, with the upgrade package and a successor Starshield contract still pending decisions by Washington.