President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Elon Musk had restored Ukraine's access to the Starlink satellite internet network, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the military's connection had not yet been fully restored.1,3
Zelensky told a press conference that the speed of the system used by Ukraine's military "has not been restored to 400" kilometres per hour, or 250 miles per hour, adding, "We are working on it." He said connectivity to Starshield, the military-grade network provided through Musk's satellite-based Starlink system, had yet to be fully restored.1,3
Asked about a Wall Street Journal report that he had called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of Starlink, Trump declined to discuss it. "I don't want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn't make any difference, I guess. The bottom line, he put it back," Trump told reporters.1,3
The Journal reported, citing officials, that Trump told Musk he was frustrated that the system's speeds were still capped at around 160 km/h, and that the service was working more normally on Thursday, shortly after their conversation. BBC News had not confirmed that account and had asked the White House and SpaceX for an explanation. The restrictions affect Ukraine's ability to use drones to attack Russia and to protect itself from attacks.1,3
Other reports described a different account of who ordered the slowdown. Ars Technica reported that a Wall Street Journal report said Musk ordered it, noting that Musk and Trump both denied ordering the slowdown, and the Washington Times said the Journal had reported on Tuesday that Musk ordered a slowdown of the military-grade version of Starlink that Ukraine uses during Russian attacks.4,7
Musk has denied being behind the slowdown. In a social media post on October 14, he wrote, "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," using the acronym for president of the United States. He has said Starshield is "owned and controlled by the US government," and last week said the government ultimately controls access to the system, which he said was designed for the Pentagon.1,3
The Trump administration had previously denied instructing Musk's company to restrict access, and the White House has repeatedly said it did not order access to be restricted. Trump has said, "Well, I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," adding, "And from what I understand, it's the same as it's always been."1,3
Rubio also said this week that decisions about Starlink's speed and access belong to Musk. "The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they'll allow it to be used at," Rubio said on Wednesday.3
Ukraine uses both the civilian Starlink service and the more secure Starshield, depending on what communications are needed. The networks use 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, and Starlink plays a key role in Kyiv's war effort and air defences. Modern warfare often relies on high-speed internet to operate drones.1,3
Ukrainian officials announced on October 13 that sudden restrictions on Starlink services had left the country's military scrambling. Connectivity has reportedly remained spotty since the system came back online.3
The connectivity restrictions came as Trump pressed Zelensky to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, which he has argued have caused prices to rise. Facing midterm elections next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the US market, a move criticised by Ukraine and its European allies. Democrats and some members of Trump's own party have criticised the easing of US pressure on Russia.1,3
Ukraine has been fighting Russia since February 2022, when Putin launched a full-scale invasion. In 2025, Trump blamed Ukraine's ambitions of joining NATO, saying, "I actually think that that was the thing that caused the start of the war." More recently, he wrote on Truth Social, "He doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did," referring to Zelenskyy.3
A bipartisan group of nearly two dozen House members has also urged Trump to act. The Hill obtained exclusively a letter, sent Wednesday, that asks Trump to ask Musk to give Ukraine access to Starlink satellite systems to hunt for missile launchers inside Russia. The signatories included seven House Republicans and 16 Democrats.6
Zelensky said he was waiting to hear from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "I am waiting to hear from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He promised to get back to me with information within 48 hours or so."1
