President Donald Trump on Friday vehemently denied that his administration had issued any directives this week to limit SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet services provided to Ukrainian armed forces. This denial comes after Ukrainian officials reported significant disruptions to military-grade Starshield services, affecting critical operations.
Ukrainian authorities voiced concerns on Tuesday and Wednesday, stating that SpaceX had restricted the use of Starshield, the military-specific variant of Starlink, without prior notification. These unexpected limitations, they claimed, hampered some military operations and their ability to defend against escalating Russian attacks.
In a twist, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attributed any such restrictions to the U.S. government and President Trump. Musk posted on X, clarifying that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," implicitly redirecting accountability.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House on October 16, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
When questioned by reporters in Washington, D.C., about who was responsible for the access pause, Trump responded, "Well, I don't know if it was anybody because it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon. And from what I understand, it's the same as it's always been."
Ukrainian forces have become heavily reliant on Starlink and Starshield for crucial functions, including data collection from autonomous drones and other essential communications. The reported restrictions reportedly cut off connectivity for drones and other vehicles operating above 160 kilometers per hour, jeopardizing missions.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed frustration in a Telegram post this week, stating, "Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions, and this led to the failure of a number of missions."
Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's deputy prime minister, also publicly criticized Musk on X. Poland has been a key purchaser of Starlink services for Ukraine. "Hey, @elonmusk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again?" Sikorski wrote. "As your European customers, we are watching you."
Musk is known to advise the Pentagon on technology through his involvement in the recently unveiled Project Meridian.
Adding to the complexity, The Telegraph reported Friday that Musk had "approached Donald Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in Ukraine," suggesting both figures had a role in the restrictions. Separately, Reuters on Thursday, citing two U.S. officials, also indicated that the order to limit Starlink in Ukraine originated from within the White House, though it did not identify the specific individual responsible.
This incident follows a previous comment by Musk on October 10, where he posted on X, "Zelensky has gone too far," after Trump had called for Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries.
SpaceX and Musk have yet to respond to requests for comment regarding these latest developments. SpaceX shares have seen an approximate 11% decline this week, with the company slated to release its quarterly results on Tuesday.
