Officials Say Trump Asked Musk To Lift Starshield Limits On Ukraine
Trump's public refusal to confirm or deny the call, paired with Ukrainian authorities saying the restrictions have not changed, leaves the official account of the call and the on-the-ground status of Ukraine's terminals telling different stories.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Officials have testified that President Donald Trump phoned Elon Musk to ask him to lift speed restrictions on Starshield, the military version of Starlink, in Ukraine. The restrictions hit on October 14, 2026, disrupting terminals moving at high speed, including drones. Accounts of who ordered the limits conflict: Musk said Starshield is owned and managed by the U.S. government, while Trump said he did not know who was involved.
The restrictions landed on October 14, 2026 and affected terminals moving at high speed, such as drones used in Ukraine. Since then the explanation has shifted. Ukraine's former defense minister thanked Musk after the limits appeared to lift, and Musk replied that Starshield is owned and managed by the U.S. government. Reuters, citing two U.S. government officials and one Western official, reported the order came from inside the White House, while a senior official said the president made no such request. The Telegraph reported that Musk proposed the restrictions. Trump, asked whether he called Musk, said it makes no difference who placed the call, and that Musk restored the restrictions. Ukrainian authorities say the restrictions have not changed.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.