Starlink access for Ukraine limited after Trump’s claims satellite service restored, officials say – Europe live
The Trump administration and Elon Musk are trading blame over restricted access to Starshield, SpaceX's military-grade satellite service, which has hampered Ukraine's drone operations and air defense systems.
A war of words has erupted between the Trump administration, officials in Kyiv, and Elon Musk over who is responsible for limiting Ukraine's access to SpaceX's military-grade version of Starlink. The restrictions to Starshield have rendered many Ukrainian drones inoperable and hampered air defense systems that stop Russian attacks, according to Ukrainian officials.
President Trump claimed on Thursday that the service was running again at full speed, but a European official speaking to the Associated Press denied the service was fully functioning. The dispute comes as civilian casualties in Ukraine have surged amid heavy strikes from both sides.
Trump's position
Trump initially denied any responsibility for the changes to Starshield, telling reporters: I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon. Secretary of state Marco Rubio backed him up, stating: What I can tell you with certainty is the president of the United States nor anyone in our system ever requested that any changes to that system be made.
The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr Musk. That's a private company. The president doesn't run that company and can't direct that company to do anything.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had asked Musk to restore the service, with Trump later telling reporters the system was back. He refused to comment on whether he had spoken to Musk but appeared to suggest the ultimate power rested with Musk: I guess the bottom line, he put it back.
Musk's response
Musk, who has supported Trump's calls for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced, blamed the Trump administration for the limits on Starshield, writing on X that the systems were owned and controlled by the US government.
Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.
Despite being a Trump ally and Republican donor, Musk denied responsibility for the changes. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk made the order to slow down Starshield, with sources disagreeing on whether this was done in concert with Trump. Vice-president JD Vance backed Musk, suggesting the issue was about US policy in Ukraine and Russia rather than Musk himself.
Military impact
The restricted access to Starshield has significantly impacted Ukraine's military capabilities. The service has been crucial for drone operations behind frontlines and for air defense systems countering Russian attacks. Local authorities reported explosions overnight in Lutsk, Poltava, and Sumy regions, with Russia also claiming strikes on ships in the Black Sea.
Both sides engaged in heavy strikes yesterday, with Russia bombarding Kyiv with ballistic missiles and Ukraine sending swarms of drones to Moscow. As the dispute continues, the question of who is ultimately responsible for limiting Kyiv's access to critical satellite technology remains unanswered.
Related
