The Starlink Challenge

This thesis examines shifts in the state-business nexus through Starlink’s deployment in the Russo-Ukrainian War and its implications for European strategic autonomy. It develops the Corporate Autonomy in Weaponized Interdependence (CA-WI) framework, extending Weaponized Interdependence theory by treating corporations as (semi-)autonomous actors. Based on ten expert interviews and a literature review, it identifies monopolistic market position, international diversification, and normative influence as key variables of corporate autonomy. The findings highlight a “tempo-spatial power shift”: private actors can outpace governments, requiring strategic autonomy to account for corporate control of critical infrastructure.