Trump denies limiting Ukraine access to Starlink network

US President Donald Trump has denied limiting Ukraine's access to Starlink's sister internet network Starshield, following restrictions on drone speeds that hampered Kyiv's ability to defend itself against deadly Russian attacks. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House, Trump stated that he was not responsible for the curbs and expressed doubt that Starlink owner Elon Musk was either. The restrictions occurred on Tuesday night, just as Ukraine was struck by several severe attacks.

The timing of the network slowdown coincided with renewed tensions between Washington and Kyiv. Ukraine had resumed targeting Russian oil refineries after expressing anger over a controversial diesel deal between Russia and the US. This move drew criticism from Trump, who had previously announced a ceasefire regarding energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended the resumed strikes, questioning who would stand up to the aggression if not him, while addressing EU leaders at a summit in Brussels.

Starlink is a civilian-use high-speed internet network operated by Musk's SpaceX, while Starshield is its military-grade sister service designed for the Pentagon. On Tuesday night, Starlink restricted speed limits to 100mph, meaning any weapons traveling faster than that threshold lost connectivity. Consequently, Ukraine's defensive operations against Russian drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure were severely degraded, leaving some 600,000 people without power as communications and energy facilities were hit.

Elon Musk explained that Starshield is managed by the US government, suggesting that the Pentagon could have been responsible for the restrictions. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the order had come from inside the White House, citing two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. The US government has historically allowed Ukraine to use Starlink and Starshield for defense, and Musk had previously blocked Moscow's access to the service to aid Kyiv.

The disruptions have drawn swift political reactions. A bipartisan group of US senators signed a letter demanding an investigation into the network outages, emphasizing how the restrictions compromised Ukraine's safety. At the same time, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that EU states would not abandon Ukraine, declaring that it is Europe's job to hold the line despite political ambiguities.