Donald Trump says Elon Musk has restored Ukraine’s access to Starlink. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the country’s military still faces restrictions on the satellite system. The conflicting accounts have raised further questions about who initially imposed the Starlink restrictions. Ukraine relies heavily on the network for battlefield communications, drones, and air defense operations.
Why Ukraine says its military satellite connection remains restricted
Trump addressed the controversy Thursday after The Wall Street Journal reported that he called Musk and asked him to lift the restrictions. “The bottom line, he put it back,” Trump said, according to NBC News.
However, Zelensky offered a different account. He said Ukraine still could not use the system at the movement speeds required for certain military operations.
Ukrainian officials said the system still restricted connectivity when equipped vehicles or drones traveled faster than approximately 100 mph. Kyiv wants the system to support equipment traveling at speeds of up to approximately 249 mph, particularly for high-speed drone interception.
The latest disagreement follows an earlier disruption that reportedly forced Ukrainian troops to adjust their military operations. Zelensky previously accused the U.S. of abandoning Ukraine after Starlink restrictions disrupted military operations.
Musk has denied responsibility for restrictions involving Starshield, the military version of the satellite system. He maintained that the U.S. government controls Starshield and makes decisions about its usage restrictions. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said decisions involving commercial Starlink access belong to SpaceX.
The conflicting accounts have also prompted calls for an investigation in Washington. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick recently called for an investigation into the Starshield slowdown, saying officials should establish who ordered the restrictions.
The dispute comes amid broader tensions between Trump and Zelensky. Trump recently waived certain sanctions on Russia, drawing criticism from Kyiv and some Republican lawmakers.
For now, Trump maintains that Musk restored Ukraine’s access. However, Ukrainian officials maintain that the system’s full military functionality has not been restored.
