Ukraine: Zelensky questions sole agency of Musk in satellite slowdown
The Ukrainian president stated on Tuesday that he doubts the SpaceX chief acted independently, suggesting dialogue occurred within the U.S. government.
By Elijah Fitzgerald ·
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday that he doubts Elon Musk acted alone in restricting access to Starshield, a military satellite network that supports Ukrainian forces. The president made these remarks during an interview with PBS News, challenging the idea that the decision to limit speeds was made by a single individual.
The slowdown took place last month. It specifically targeted Starlink-supported drones, airplanes, and helicopters. The restriction applied to any of these assets traveling faster than 100 mph. This limitation impacted Ukraine's ability to use the military version of the service, which is known as Starshield.
Zelensky noted that Starshield is the government version of the technology. "I’m not sure that he [Musk] can do it with Starshield because it’s military. It’s government version," the president said. He added that he believes a dialogue occurred between various parties. "I think it was a dialogue between some people, and in, during this dialogue, the decision was negative for us," he explained.
Musk initially told the public that the U.S. military and the president decide how Starshield is used. He later posted on social media that Ukraine violated the terms of service. "Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week," Musk wrote in that post. He argued that using the commercial service for offensive strikes to kill people was not allowed.
Officials from the Trump administration have stated that the White House was not involved in the decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in October that the matter is governed by a private commercial contract. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also made similar comments regarding the lack of direct White House involvement. The administration maintains that the speed limits are a contractual issue.
Ukraine has utilized Starlink's commercial services since the start of the war with Russia. The country later added Starshield through a contract between SpaceX and the Pentagon. Zelensky described the technology as critical to Ukraine's defense. He said he is very thankful for the service and wants to speak with Musk regarding the recent incident.
The president said that if restrictions are lifted, Ukraine plans to use Starshield inside Russia. The goal is to locate points where ballistic launchers are positioned. Zelensky confirmed he wants to hold a conversation with Musk to discuss the future of the satellite network's use in the conflict.
