Trump's Russia diesel deal may offer Putin more than money — and spell trouble for Ukraine
Trump's diesel deal may do little for Russia's finances, but it raises bigger questions about Ukraine's leverage, U.S. support and Putin's next moves.
Ukrainian officials claim that SpaceX restricted the use of Starshield, a military-grade version of Starlink, without warning, hindering military operations and civilian defense against Russian attacks. President Trump denied any involvement in the restrictions, stating that neither he nor Elon Musk was responsible. SpaceX CEO Musk also denied responsibility, attributing any restrictions to the US government and Trump.
Ukrainian forces relied on Starlink and Starshield for data gathering, communications, and defensive drones. The restrictions cut off connectivity for drones traveling above 160 kilometers per hour. Ukrainian advisor Serhii Beskrestnov stated that armed forces were unaware of the restrictions, leading to mission failures. Polish deputy prime minister Radoslaw Sikorski criticized Musk for playing politics with the products.
Musk reportedly approached Trump about slowing down Starlink in Ukraine. The White House is suspected of initiating the restrictions, but it remains unclear who made the order. Zelenskyy, in Brussels meeting European leaders, said Starshield has not fully recovered, though it is returning to previous speed limits.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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