Elon Musk reported to have asked Donald Trump to restrict Ukraine Starlink access

Elon Musk approached Donald Trump with the idea to slow down Starlink satellite services in Ukraine, the Daily Mail, The Telegraph, and LBC reported. Sources familiar with the discussions told the Daily Mail that Donald Trump agreed to introduce speed limits on the military adaptation called Starshield, which inhibited Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian drone and missile attacks. [1][5][10]

Donald Trump denied taking part in any changes to the satellite service. Reuters, The Hill, and CNN reported that Donald Trump stated neither he nor Elon Musk caused the loss of Starlink access or meddled with the Starshield system in Ukraine. [3][6][8]

The restrictions on the system have since been lifted. The Guardian reported that Starlink access in Ukraine has been restored, following a meeting between the United States defense secretary Pete Hegseth and United Kingdom cabinet minister Wesley Streeting. The BBC reported that United States senators have called for an investigation into the restrictions placed on Ukraine. [9][11]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Ukrainian military previously experienced Starlink connection drops at speeds over 160 kilometres per hour. Elon Musk is the chief executive officer and largest shareholder of SpaceX, which operates the Starshield system to provide capabilities to the United States military. [12][16][17]