Musk and Trump point fingers as Starlink slowdown hurts Ukraine
Who's to blame?
Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
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- Reports conflict over who ordered Starlink speed limits affecting Ukrainian forces.
- Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield restrictions still affect parts of the front line.
- The slowdown hampers Ukrainian drones and other military hardware that rely on satellite connectivity.
- Canada and the EU are developing satellite alternatives to reduce reliance on US technology.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
While it's still unclear who ordered the slowdown of Starlink services in Ukraine, which are vital to the country's defense, neither US President Donald Trump nor SpaceX's supremo, Elon Musk, appears to be rushing to fix the problem.
Citing unnamed sources, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade Starlink service used by Ukrainian forces.
However, WSJ's sources shared conflicting information, as some said that Musk acted unilaterally, while another source reportedly said that the SpaceX and Tesla founder had spoken with Trump and other senior administration officials before restricting Ukraine's access to Starlink.
On X, Musk also said that "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
Meanwhile, Reuters reported today that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said decisions about Ukraine’s Starlink access were made by Musk and SpaceX, not the White House.
While Ukraine is seeking clarification on what's happening and how to address the situation, SpaceX hasn't commented on the matter.
In either case, Starlink speed restrictions on connections used by military hardware have hampered Ukraine's ability to defend itself. For example, Starlink-connected drones are being used near the front line and for strikes against Russian targets.
Ukraine-US tensions
The slowdown reportedly began on October 14th, 4 days after Trump criticized Ukraine for attacking Russian refineries, and Musk responded that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “has gone too far."
On October 19th, Zelensky told a bipartisan US congressional delegation that his country still faced speed restrictions on both Starlink and Starshield in different parts of the front.
Meanwhile, Starlink's hostile behavior is prompting other countries to seek alternatives to reduce their dependence on US technology.
As reported by Cybernews, Canada's Telesat aims to launch its low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite network in early 2028 and make it available to allied nations, including Ukraine.
The EU is also working toward greater autonomy in satellite communications through its GOVSATCOM program and IRIS, a multi-orbit constellation intended to provide secure connectivity.
