Zelenskyy gives Ukraine's Order of Freedom award to Musk for Starlink's role in war effort

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal announced plans to discuss the utilization of the Starlink satellite system to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent. The issue was highlighted during a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday. Blumenthal emphasized the critical importance of Starlink and mentioned that obtaining the Ukrainian President's request to persuade President Donald Trump and others, including Elon Musk, on the matter would be one of his assigned tasks.

When asked about the possibility of directly contacting Musk, Blumenthal stated that he had not spoken with the businessman personally but would be willing to do so if necessary. He added that he would explore ways to establish contact with Musk, noting that the U.S. President might be more inclined to listen to him than to a single senator. However, Blumenthal acknowledged that Musk had previously responded to similar requests and expressed hope that he would do so again.

Among other tasks given to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Blumenthal listed interceptors, missile defense systems, and imposing sanctions on Russia. Last week, Zelenskyy reported to reporters that negotiations with the United States were ongoing, potentially involving the use of the Starlink satellite system on Russian territory for Ukrainian defense purposes.

Earlier, media reports suggested that President Trump had not supported Ukraine's request for permission from Musk to use Starlink for Ukrainian long-range drones on Russian territory.