Zelenskyy Feels 'Betrayed' By Trump After Starlink Restrictions Hit Ukraine’s Military

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he feels betrayed by US President Donald Trump following restrictions on Starlink access for Ukraine’s military, warning that the move could cost lives.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street, Zelenskyy was asked whether he believed the restrictions were deliberate. “Really, yes … but it’s a little bit more complicated ⁠than just my emotions or my feelings,” he said, adding, “It’s a pity that we are losing; we are losing a strong partner,” The Guardian reported.

In a separate interview with Piers Morgan, Zelenskyy was more emphatic, saying he was certain the US knew the consequences of the decision. “I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1 a.m. Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States,” he said. Warning of the potential human cost, he added: “This decision will bring a lot of human losses … of course, people will die.”

Earlier on Tuesday night, the Ukrainian military said that SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, managed by the US government, suddenly stopped working at speeds over 100 mph, with no explanation given.

This essentially knocked out most of the high-speed drones Ukraine relies on to strike targets deep behind enemy lines. It later turned out the outage also disrupted Ukraine's best defense system for stopping Russian jet drones from bombing Kyiv.

Who decided to restrict access, Musk or the Pentagon?

Starshield is a SpaceX unit that builds satellite systems for military and intelligence use for the Pentagon. It is separate from Starlink, SpaceX’s commercial broadband service, although the boundary between them can be hard to see at times.

Elon Musk clarified that, said the US government, not SpaceX, would bear responsibility if Starshield service in Ukraine is disrupted. He said, “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS, " the Guardian reported.

The US government has not commented on the claims by Musk. The US president has asked Ukraine to stop bombing Russian oil refineries, blaming those attacks for driving up diesel prices.

However, most experts say the real reason global energy costs are soaring is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel strikes on Iran.

Relations between the two leaders broke down back in spring 2025 during a rocky Oval Office meeting, where the US president bluntly told Zelenskyy, "You don't have the cards" to win the war. That fallout led to a short halt in intelligence sharing and sent European allies scrambling to smooth things over.