WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk has restored critical satellite internet service for Ukraine, following reports that the White House intervened to reverse sudden connection limits hampering Ukrainian forces.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Thursday that Trump asked Musk during a phone conversation to end restrictions placed on the military-grade Starshield system, citing U.S. officials. A White House official subsequently confirmed Trump’s outreach to Musk to the New York Post, stating the conversation occurred Wednesday.
Addressing reporters outside the White House as he left for an Iowa campaign appearance, Trump declined to directly confirm that he personally placed the call, but affirmed the outcome.
“Whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference,” Trump said. “The bottom line, he put it back.”
Battlefield Disruptions and Speed Caps
The Starshield satellite network, built by SpaceX for defense operations, provides crucial connectivity for Ukrainian troops, offensive drones and air defense interceptors resisting Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian officials initially disclosed unexpected service disruptions on Oct. 13.
According to the Journal, speeds had been throttled to approximately 160 kilometers per hour, leaving drone systems unable to effectively intercept Russian strikes. The outlet reported that Starshield was functioning more normally Thursday shortly after Trump spoke with Musk, though officials told both the Journal and the Post that the service was not yet operating at full capacity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed earlier Thursday that the connection remained restricted. At a press conference, Zelenskyy said speeds had “not been restored to 400 yet,” referring to kilometers per hour, and noted that he was awaiting an update from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio within 48 hours, the BBC reported.
Dispute Over Responsibility
The slowdown triggered days of finger-pointing between Trump administration officials and SpaceX over who authorized the throttling. Trump repeatedly denied ordering limits on Kyiv’s access, telling reporters Wednesday, “I don’t know who did it, but I was not involved.”
Musk disputed responsibility on social media on Oct. 14, asserting that the military version of the satellite system is controlled by the U.S. government. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk wrote.
Conflicting accounts also emerged across media reports. Reuters cited sources stating the White House had requested the limits, while The Telegraph reported that Musk approached Trump with the proposal. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Musk ordered the slowdown independently.
Rubio asserted Wednesday that the issue was commercial rather than governmental, stating that speeds and access were governed by private contracts held by SpaceX. Meanwhile, unnamed administration officials cited by the Post floated a separate theory that Ukrainian units had experienced slowdowns by mistakenly connecting to consumer Starlink terminals rather than military Starshield gear, though no evidence was offered to support that explanation.
Geopolitical Tensions
The satellite controversy emerged amid ongoing friction between Trump and Zelenskyy. Trump has publicly criticized the Ukrainian leader over strikes targeting Russian oil refineries, arguing the attacks have elevated diesel prices ahead of upcoming midterm elections, the Post reported.
Trump has also faced scrutiny from lawmakers of both parties for moving to ease energy sanctions against Russia and buy Russian diesel on international markets, moves tied to high fuel prices following U.S. military involvement against Iran, according to reports from CNBC and Al Jazeera English.
While satellite performance showed signs of improvement late Thursday, U.S. and Ukrainian officials are still monitoring whether SpaceX will fully remove remaining speed caps across the war zone.
