Zelensky questions U.S. role in Starlink restrictions

Volodymyr Zelensky told PBS News on Tuesday that he doubts Elon Musk acted alone when restricting Starlink speeds for Ukraine’s military last month. The Ukrainian president said the move limited access to Starshield, the military version of the satellite internet service, and affected drones, airplanes, and helicopters moving faster than 100 mph.

Zelensky expressed skepticism that Musk could unilaterally control Starshield because it is a government contract. “I’m not sure that he could do it personally alone, without any representatives from American government,” Zelensky said. He noted that while he does not know which specific U.S. officials authorized the change, he believes it resulted from a dialogue among American parties that yielded a negative outcome for Ukraine.

Musk initially stated that the U.S. military and the president make the final calls on Starshield usage. He later posted on social media that Ukraine had violated Starlink terms of service by using the commercial service for offensive drone strikes. “That loophole was closed last week,” Musk wrote. He argued that using the commercial service to kill people had never been permitted.

Ukraine has relied on Starlink’s commercial services since the war with Russia began. The country later secured Starshield through a SpaceX contract with the Pentagon. Despite the recent restrictions, Zelensky said he remains “very thankful” for the technology. He stated that if restrictions are lifted, Ukraine intends to use Starshield in Russia to locate ballistic launcher positions.

Trump administration officials have previously distanced the White House from the decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in October that the White House had no involvement in the slowdown. “The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they’ll allow it to be used at,” Rubio said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also indicated that the administration was not directly responsible for the changes. Zelensky said he wanted to speak with Musk after the incident to clarify the situation. The dispute highlights the complex relationship between private technology providers and government military needs during the ongoing conflict.