Elon Musk just threw the ball into Trump’s court over Ukraine’s Starshield controversy. The SpaceX CEO addressed who actually controls the military satellite network amid accusations of disrupted Ukrainian operations.
What Elon Musk said about US military control of Starshield restrictions
Elon Musk stated that Starshield systems fall under U.S. government ownership and control. He posted on X that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” His remarks directly placed responsibility on President Donald Trump for any restrictions affecting Ukraine’s military-grade Starlink network.
The comments followed Ukraine’s accusations that SpaceX imposed new restrictions on Starshield without prior notice. Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, revealed the issue on Wednesday. He said SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion. The restrictions also disrupted Starshield operations used for defense missions.
Beskrestnov noted that Starlink operates Ukraine’s interceptor drones against Russian Shahed drones. He described these drones as the “most effective solution” against that threat. Musk clarified that Starshield serves military purposes. He added that Starlink is only meant for “civilian or defensive activities.”
Some restrictions appeared partially lifted by Thursday morning. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Musk for restoring connectivity at speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour. Fedorov stressed that removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely remains critical for Ukraine’s defense.
The dispute unfolded amid broader tensions between Kyiv and Washington. Trump had announced an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine welcomed a deal contingent on Moscow honoring its commitments. However, Zelenskyy accused Russia of breaching the ceasefire on Monday. Trump also criticized Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy facilities.
He blamed Kyiv’s attacks for rising diesel prices rather than the U.S. conflict with Iran. Washington reportedly threatened to cut intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Ukrainian officials confirmed they had not received Russian attack warnings for two consecutive days.
