Trump called Musk to demand that he lift Starlink restrictions for Ukraine – WSJ
U.S. President Donald Trump personally called SpaceX founder Elon Musk to demand that he lift the speed and operational restrictions on Starshield—the military version of the Starlink satellite system—for the Ukrainian military.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump repeatedly stated this week his intention to completely lift all limits on communications in Ukraine and expressed dissatisfaction that speed restrictions were reducing the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones and interceptors in countering Russian attacks.
Immediately after the phone call, the system began operating as usual, and Ukrainian officials confirmed an increase in terminal speeds. Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the limits, as they reduced the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones and interceptors in repelling Russian attacks. According to experts, the restoration of full-capacity communications will enhance Ukraine’s strike capabilities at operational depth. SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington have so far declined to comment.
Source: The Wall Street Journal.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he was not involved in restricting Ukraine’s access to Starshield—the military version of the Starlink satellite system. Musk himself claimed he had nothing to do with it either—arguing that Starshield belongs to and is controlled by the U.S. government, and that decisions regarding restrictions on the system’s use are made by the U.S. military and the U.S. president. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, both are involved in slowing down Starshield: Musk, a well-known Putin supporter, approached Trump with a proposal to impose speed limits on the system, and the U.S. president agreed.
After public complaints from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—specifically that Ukrainians could die if unrestricted service were not restored—a scandal erupted. SpaceX representatives then contacted their colleagues at the White House in an attempt to draft a joint statement clarifying that the company and the Trump administration had coordinated their actions before Musk issued the order to restrict connectivity.
