Elon Musk orders Starlink slowdown in Ukraine amid strained Trump-Zelenskyy relationship? What we know | Today’s news
Weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian military access to the Starlink Star Shield had been restricted and questioned whether US President Donald Trump or company founder Elon Musk had ordered the restrictions, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had ordered a slowdown of the military version of Starlink, which Kyiv relies heavily on.
Ukrainian Starlink limited: Who was responsible?
While both Musk and Trump have previously denied responsibility for the slowdown, the report cited U.S. officials as saying that last week the world’s richest man set a speed limit for Ukrainian equipment using Starlink, rendering some attack drones and interceptor drones nearly useless.
After the slowdown became public, Musk wrote in a social media post: “Any speed or use restrictions are at the discretion of the US military and ultimately the POTUS,” while the US president told reporters he was not aware of who was responsible for the Starlink slowdown, “but I would like to find out.”
Both Trump and Musk have expressed anger after Zelenskyy ordered strikes targeting Russian oil refineries in recent weeks, with the Ukrainian president’s relationship with the US president facing renewed strain.
After the Starshield slowdown became public, Musk and Trump reportedly discussed the decision in a phone call while the US president was campaigning last week. According to one of the sources, the matter was also discussed before the founder of SpaceX decided to limit the service.
The development comes as Zelensky’s public complaints that Ukrainians could die if unlimited service is not restored have led to widespread confusion over who ordered the slowdown, along with an informal investigation inside the White House.
Amid the backlash, SpaceX representatives contacted White House officials to agree on a joint account and a public release saying the company and the Trump administration had coordinated before Musk issued the directive.
Some US officials have said that Musk acted on his own and that the US president did not specifically order any retaliation against Kiev. But another source added that the SpaceX founder spoke with several administration officials, including Trump, before the slowdown. Ukrainian officials said the slowdown allowed Russian missiles to evade their defenses.
The Starlink slowdown raises tensions and underscores Musk’s influence over the war in Ukraine
The slowdown, which began on October 14, followed several announcements and statements from the Trump administration that Ukrainian officials saw as hostile to Kiev, including criticism of Zelensky by Trump and Musk. Days before the slowdown, on Oct. 10, Trump said he informed the Ukrainian president, “You can do whatever you want with Russia, but don’t interfere with the refineries, because that’s a world problem.” And what does he do? He goes and presses the diesel. He should fucking stop.”
In response to a White House video of these remarks about X, Musk slammed Zelensky, writing: “Zelensky went too far.” The heightened criticism has led Kiev to suspect that the curtailment order came either from Trump or from the SpaceX founder himself.
The latest episode has now raised tensions between the US and Ukraine to the highest level since Trump berated Zelenskyi in the Oval Office last year. But he also highlighted Musk’s influence on the war, as Starlink provides a lifeline for Ukrainian troops on the ground attacking Russian forces and fighting back.
Trump’s latest move to increase pressure on Zelenskyi comes after the US president announced that Moscow had agreed to an oil deal aimed at lowering prices ahead of November’s midterm elections and subsequently announced that he would drop Graham Law sanctions against Russia.
