Trump Says Musk Restored Ukraine’s Starlink Access After Reported Restrictions

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has restored Ukraine’s access to Starlink, a key satellite internet service that helps Ukraine in intelligence and air defence.

Trump on Thursday declined to comment on a Wall Street Journal report claiming he had called Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink connection. The report said the service returned to normal after the call.

According to Reuters, Trump told reporters when asked about the report, “I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called doesn’t make any difference, I guess. The bottom line, he put it back.”

Ukrainian officials said on October 13 that unexpected restrictions on Starlink had disrupted military operations, forcing troops to quickly adjust. Although the service was restored, reports suggest the connection has remained unreliable, Al Jazeera reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Starlink speeds in Ukraine were still below normal. He added that he hoped to speak with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the coming days.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that SpaceX and its owner, Elon Musk, were responsible for decisions about Ukraine’s access to Starlink, not the White House.

Rubio said, “The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how ⁠their stuff can be used and what speeds they’ll allow it to be used at,” on Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera.

Elon Musk Has Denied His Role

Earlier, Musk denied being responsible for the decision, saying Starshield, Starlink’s military-grade version, is “owned and controlled by the US government”.

Relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Washington have deteriorated further after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to purchase Russian diesel and waived new sanctions against Moscow.

Trump has also urged Kyiv to stop targeting Russian oil refineries and called on Ukrainians to replace Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, Russia launched ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, while Ukraine sent hundreds of drones towards Moscow on Thursday. The attacks continued despite Washington’s latest efforts to bring the war to an end.