Key facts
- On Thursday afternoon at the White House, Trump said Musk had restored the limits.
- SpaceX operates Starshield as a military variant of Starlink.
- The Starshield service from SpaceX assists in intercepting Russian attack drones.
- Trump denied ordering a slowdown of Starshield.
President Trump called Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to lift all limits on vital internet services for Ukraine’s military. Speaking at the White House on Thursday afternoon, Trump said Musk had put the limits back in place.
In an X post on Wednesday, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, said that the restriction had been lifted. He called the service critical for Ukraine’s defense.
critical for Ukraine's defense.
Mykhailo Fedorov, TAG24 NEWS USA INC
The slowdown hurt Ukraine’s war drones and its communications. Starshield, operated by SpaceX, helps intercept Russian attack drones. Fox News said Ukrainian forces engaged in Russia’s invasion reacted with panic when they found Starshield connectivity problems.
On Oct. 14, Musk said decisions about limits on speed or usage rest with the US military and ultimately the president. He pointed to the Trump administration, saying the federal government owns and runs the service.
any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.
Musk, New York Post
Reuters said its sources claimed the White House asked for the slowdown. The Telegraph reported that Musk brought the idea to Trump. An earlier WSJ report pointed to Musk as the cause of the slowdown.
Trump said he did not order a slowdown of Starshield. Administration officials told The Post that uncertainty remained about what happened.
Trump also asked Musk to undo any changes that might have slowed the Starshield network. The Journal said Starshield performs better after Trump’s call to Musk but still does not work fully.
One theory says Ukraine’s slowdowns happened because Starlink, a consumer product, was used instead of Starshield for some applications. No evidence has been offered to prove that speculation. Starshield is a military version of Starlink operated by SpaceX.
Trump has been attacking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The president blamed attacks on Russian oil refineries for higher diesel fuel prices before the midterm elections. Trump struck a controversial diesel deal with Russia last week.
The president gave Musk the Science Award recently. The Tesla CEO has donated millions to help Republicans in the midterms. The two men seemed to have repaired their once-fractured relationship. In recent days, the conflict has been escalating.
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