Trump Calls Elon Musk, Expresses Frustration Over Starlink Slowdown In Ukraine: Report | Today’s news

U.S. President Donald Trump called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to lift restrictions on Starshield — the military version of Starlink — services in Ukraine that the SpaceX chief had throttled, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

On Thursday, the system was operating more normally, U.S. and Ukrainian officials were quoted as saying shortly after their conversation. Some Ukrainian officials said the system had not been restored to full functionality, but was operating at higher speeds than under the cap.

The WSJ report comes amid a debate over who is responsible for imposing restrictions on Ukraine’s Starshield services — crucial on the battlefield.

Ukraine uses Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations. Restrictions on satellite service have hindered the country’s air defense drone strikes and missions against Russia.

After Ukrainian officials flagged the sudden curtailment of the satellite communications service, Musk posted on X to emphasize that Starlink and Starshield are different. He said that while Starlink is owned and controlled by SpaceX, Starshield falls under the control of the US government.

Earlier, sources told the WSJ that Elon Musk last week ordered a slowdown of the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service, which Ukraine relies on.

Musk and Trump reportedly discussed the Starlink decision in a call soon after the slowdown became public while the president was campaigning last week, according to the report, which added that the two also discussed the matter before deciding to cut Starlink.

What did Trump say to Musk?

Trump expressed frustration to Musk that the system’s speed was still limited to about 100 miles per hour, the report said, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Trump told aides and allies this week that he wants to reverse the slowdown of Starlink, which Ukrainian forces use for defense along the front line, officials said.

“Removing the throttle limit will greatly aid Ukraine’s operational depth strike capabilities and its current efforts to expand the deployment of jet fighters,” said Michael Kofman, a war expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Kofman added that he has heard from Ukrainian military units that initial tests indicate that the system is now operating more regularly.

Musk, SpaceX and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The White House referred the Journal to Trump’s recent denials that he asked Musk to throttle Starlink or knew who gave the order. Trump and Musk spoke about Ukraine and Starlink on the day the slowdown became public, the Journal previously reported.

US and Ukrainian officials said the satellite system was operating normally on Thursday, according to the newspaper.

Kiev depends on the Starshield, a militarized version of Starlink, to aid its air defenses and help target artillery strikes. The system is seen as vital to the country’s air defense as Russian President Vladimir Putin launches a wave of drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi previously accused the US of limiting the service. The Journal reported Tuesday that the slowdown came from an order from Musk, citing unnamed U.S. officials and others.

Trump told aides this week that he wanted to reverse the Starlink slowdown, officials said, according to the Journal.