Trump says Musk restored Ukraine's Starlink access as blame persists
The US president declined to comment on how the restrictions were lifted, as questions remain over who ordered limits on Ukraine's satellite internet.
At a glance
- Trump said Elon Musk restored Ukraine's Starlink access but would not say who ordered the restrictions.
- The Wall Street Journal reported Trump called Musk and told him to end limits on Ukraine's connection.
- Musk, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have traded blame over who controls Starlink speeds.
US President Donald Trump has said that tech mogul Elon Musk restored Ukraine's access to Starlink, the satellite internet service that plays a key role in Kyiv's war effort and air defences.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump declined to discuss a Wall Street Journal report that he had called Musk and instructed him to end restrictions on Ukraine's connection. The news outlet reported that Starlink services returned to normal following the call.
"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," Trump said when asked about the report.
Who ordered the restrictions?
The restrictions became public on October 13, when Ukrainian officials announced that sudden limits on Starlink services had left the country's military scrambling. Though the system came back online, connectivity has reportedly remained spotty, and questions have persisted about where the decision to restrict access came from.
Musk and Trump administration officials have traded blame. Trump has denied ordering the restrictions. "Well, I don't know if it was anybody, but it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," he said on Friday, adding that from what he understood, the service was "the same as it's always been".
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that decisions about Starlink's speed and access belong to Musk, describing them as governed by a private commercial contract covering how the service can be used. Musk has denied responsibility, saying Starshield — the military-grade version of Starlink — is "owned and controlled by the US government".
"Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," he said in a social media post on October 14, using the acronym for president of the United States.
The speed caps and restrictions have also raised concerns that Trump, or his right-wing allies, might seek to leverage such technology to pressure Ukraine into complying with US demands.
A strained relationship with Kyiv
Trump has had a contentious relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, repeatedly calling him "difficult" in comparison with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine has been locked in a slow-grinding war with Russia since February 2022, when Putin launched a full-scale invasion. While Europe has backed Ukraine's defence, Trump has suggested Ukraine itself could be to blame for the conflict. In 2025, he blamed Kyiv's ambitions to join NATO, saying of that, "I actually think that that was the thing that caused the start of the war." More recently, he posted on Truth Social that it was Zelenskyy's fault the war had not yet ended, writing: "He doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did."
Trump has been criticised by Democrats and some members of his own Republican Party for easing US pressure on Russia. His administration recently announced moves to buy Russian diesel and ease restrictions on Russia's energy sector, as the president grapples with the political fallout of high fuel prices caused by his decision to join Israel in launching a war on Iran. He has also suggested he would be open to a trilateral meeting with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Who controls Starlink access and speed limits for Ukraine?
- Musk said Starshield, the military-grade version, is owned and controlled by the US government, with limits decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Rubio said such decisions belong to Musk under a private commercial contract.
- When did Ukraine's Starlink restrictions start?
- Ukrainian officials announced on October 13 that sudden restrictions had left the country's military scrambling. The system later came back online, though connectivity reportedly remained spotty.
- What did Trump say about the report that he called Musk?
- Trump declined to confirm or deny the call, saying whether he or someone else called "doesn't make any difference" and that "the bottom line, he put it back".
