Trump: White House didn't impede satellite system in Ukraine

President Trump asserted Friday that his administration had not impeded an Elon Musk-owned satellite system utilized by Ukraine in its conflict against Russia. This claim is significant as earlier this week, the system faced restrictions that limited Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attack drones for 24 hours. This raised suspicions that the Trump administration or Musk might be retaliating against Ukraine for its strikes on Russian oil refineries and Zelensky's criticism of Trump's diesel deal with Russia.

Trump told reporters, "I just checked this morning — it wasn't us." He further stated, "I don't know if it was anybody, because it wasn't me and I don't think it was Elon." He responded to a query about a Reuters report suggesting the order to limit the satellite system originated from the White House. Trump confirmed that, based on his briefing, the system is currently fully operational with no restrictions.

However, Ukrainian officials remain skeptical of Trump's assertions and suspect U.S. government involvement in throttling the system. "Our guys who speak to SpaceX say the White House was involved in the decision," a Ukrainian official commented. Ukraine relies on two satellite systems: one is SpaceX's Starlink, used for communications, ground forces, logistics, and defensive drones that shoot down incoming drones.

The other is Starshield, controlled by the U.S. government and employed for offensive military purposes. Both systems were restricted according to Ukraine.

Elon Musk had previously hinted at U.S. government involvement in disrupting Starshield, stating that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the President. This controversy unfolded following a new crisis between the U.S. and Ukraine over Trump's agreement to lift sanctions on Russian oil sales. Zelensky had criticized the move, and Trump subsequently called for Ukraine to elect a new president.