Trump Calls Musk Over Ukraine Satellite Restrictions
Ukraine’s drone operations improved after Trump reportedly pressured Musk to lift satellite speed limits.
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President Donald Trump reportedly called Elon Musk on Wednesday, urging the SpaceX CEO to lift restrictions on a satellite communications system that had hampered Ukrainian drone operations. The restrictions, which limited the speed of Starshield, a military-grade version of Starlink, were reportedly eased by Thursday, though full functionality for Ukraine remains uncertain.
Improvements and Conflicting Accounts
According to the Wall Street Journal, service improvements were reported on Thursday, though some Ukrainian officials said the system had not fully recovered. Trump confirmed the restrictions had been eased, but declined to directly comment on the call. ‘The bottom line: He put it back,’ he said, adding that whether he made the call or someone else did made no difference.
Impact on Ukrainian Operations
Musk had previously imposed a speed cap of around 100 miles per hour on Starshield, which rendered some Ukrainian drones ineffective at higher speeds. Michael Kofman, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment, noted that removing the throttle limit would significantly enhance Ukraine’s strike capabilities and its efforts to deploy jet-powered interceptors.
Control Disputes and Political Tensions
The administration and Musk have offered conflicting accounts of who controls the restrictions. Trump denied ordering the slowdown, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that decisions about Ukraine’s access to Starlink were up to SpaceX and Musk. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth similarly said the company could make decisions under its terms of service.
Investigation and Concerns
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced an investigation into how Starlink was degraded for Ukraine without notice. He questioned who controlled the service and what safeguards existed to prevent such disruptions, highlighting the risks to Ukrainian forces and the broader implications for U.S. investments in critical technology.
Source: Daily Wire
