Trump did not order Starshield curbs for Ukraine, says US official

A US official has stated that President Donald Trump did not order a reduction in Starshield services for Ukraine, despite Elon Musk's claims that such limits would ultimately come from the president. Kyiv reported restrictions to the SpaceX-operated service on Wednesday, shortly after Trump criticized Ukraine and urged it to cease targeting Russian oil refineries.

The US official emphasized that no such request was ever made by the president when questioned about the alleged order, according to anonymous sources. Musk has claimed that any limits on speed or usage of SpaceX's Starshield systems were decided by the US military and ultimately the president, referring to Trump. Ukraine uses Starshield, Starlink's military-grade satellite service, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russia-occupied territory, and interceptor drones.

It also relies on SpaceX's civilian Starlink satellite system. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, reported on Friday that the service was being restored, with his partners informing him that the administration and White House sent a message to SpaceX requesting them to do so. Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have escalated in recent days, with Trump calling for Zelensky's replacement after the Ukrainian leader criticized a US deal allowing more Russian diesel into global markets.