Officials from the Trump administration and their allies recently attempted to restrict Ukraine’s use of satellite systems, sparking a blame-shifting debate. Conflicting explanations have emerged regarding the sudden limitation on Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian strikes.
Last week, restrictions on Starshield—SpaceX’s military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service and a cornerstone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communications—shocked Ukrainian military and government officials. Commanders reported drones going offline and missions being disrupted. After days of anxiety, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the service had been restored to full capacity.
However, on Friday, one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s advisors, Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, said that restrictions remain in place.
He said, "We have seen no indication that Starlink's restrictions have been lifted. There have been isolated cases where Starlink's speeds were slightly above the limit, but this is likely due to SpaceX's algorithms or specific operational conditions, rather than the restrictions being lifted."
A senior European official familiar with the situation in Ukraine said on Thursday that the speed limit remains set at approximately 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). The official stated that Ukraine has not yet received an official explanation regarding who ordered the restriction or why it was imposed. The official requested anonymity due to not being authorized to comment publicly.
This incident, along with the subsequent lack of accountability, has alarmed hardline Russia critics and Ukrainian allies in Congress. Senator Richard Blumenthal announced that a new investigation will be launched into how these technologies were slowed and how they impacted Ukraine’s defense systems.
Since last week, outsiders have been asking who ordered the shutdown of the satellite internet system developed by Elon Musk, which Ukraine has relied on for years to defend against Moscow’s attacks.
Trump continued to insist until Thursday that this was not his order. Vice President JD Vance hinted at coordination between the White House and Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any government involvement.
Musk—who is one of the Republican Party’s largest donors and a Trump ally—said that questions regarding this issue should be directed to the Pentagon, since Ukraine is using a military version of his technology.
Here are the exact words of all parties involved:
U.S. President Donald Trump
Over the past week, Trump told reporters multiple times that he did not order restrictions on the satellite communication system used by Ukraine’s military, which had previously caused a slowdown in Ukrainian drones.
The president had also previously suspected that the disruption did not come from Musk; Musk had been his close advisor and constant companion.
Trump said on Friday: "Well, I don't know if it's anyone, but it's not me, and I don't think it's Elon. From what I understand, things are the same as they've always been."
On Thursday, Trump appeared to confirm that the service had once been interrupted and stated that it was now running at full speed again. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had agreed to lift the restrictions; when asked whether he had requested the removal of the cap, Trump did not directly respond.
“You know, whether it was my call or someone else’s call, it doesn’t make a difference,” Trump told reporters. “I think, ultimately, he was the one who restored it.”
Vice President JD Vance
In Cincinnati on Thursday, Vance was asked whether Musk was involved in the slowdown of Ukraine’s Starlink and Starshield operations, and whether this warranted an investigation.
“I think, fundamentally, Elon Musk runs a private company,” Vance told reporters. “I think it’s entirely understandable that he doesn’t want to get caught up in a war between two countries unless the U.S. government actually tells him what to do.”
Vance continued, "So I don't think this is about Elon. I think, fundamentally, this is about what U.S. policy should be regarding Ukraine and Russia."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Rubio insisted that the Trump administration, as well as the broader U.S. government, had no connection to the obstruction of Ukraine’s access to critical satellite data.
Speaking to journalists in India on Wednesday, Rubio, for the third time in four days, stated that the throttling of Ukraine’s internet access was neither ordered nor directed by Trump or anyone in his administration. He also suggested that Musk, the system’s owner, may have been involved.
“I can assure you that neither the President of the United States nor anyone in our system has requested any changes to this system—that’s what we’ve repeatedly said,” Rubio said. “The President had nothing to do with the decisions made by Starlink and Starshield, which are private company decisions. The President does not run that company and cannot direct it to do anything.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
Hegseth echoed Rubio’s statement on Tuesday, denying any U.S. role in slowing down the satellite internet service and shifting blame to Musk’s company.
“We haven’t withdrawn anything,” Hegseth told reporters, adding, “but ultimately, the terms of service must be followed.”
He did not specify which terms of service Ukraine needs to comply with, but stated that "Starlink has the right to make these decisions."
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX
As the world’s richest person and head of the company behind Starlink and Starshield, Musk shifted blame to the Trump administration last week.
On October 14, he wrote on X: "The Starshield system is owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any speed or usage restrictions are determined by the U.S. military and ultimately by the President of the United States."
Musk added, "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. The use of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military operations; it would be inappropriate for a commercial company to do so."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
This wartime president has been working to reverse the restrictions imposed last week without warning.
Shortly after the system issue, Zelensky stated that EU countries do not have similar restrictions, and these restrictions apply only to Ukraine. "In other words, this is a planned action," he said.
On Monday, Zelensky spoke with a group of U.S. bipartisan lawmakers, saying that in his social media briefing videos, “We still face speed limitations for Starlink and Starshield services across different front-line regions, and we still haven’t received an explanation—only various odd claims.”
On Wednesday, during an interview on Fox & Friends, Zelensky said Ukraine’s Starlink connections remain restricted, and Rubio told him he would work to “lift” this slowdown.
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Amiri reported from New York, and Alirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim, Konstantin Toropin, Matthew Lee, and Lisa Mascaro also contributed to this report from Washington.