Starshield system is 'back' in Ukraine: Trump
WASHINGTON: The Starshield military communications system is “back” in Ukraine, Donald Trump said on Thursday, after The Wall Street Journal reported that the US president had asked tech billionaire Elon Musk to restore the service, which is vital to Kyiv’s forces.
The United States has restored the Starshield military communications system to Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had asked tech billionaire Elon Musk to bring back the service, which is crucial to Kyiv's military operations. Trump, when questioned about the report, declined to comment on whether he personally made the call or not, stating, "I guess the bottom line, he put it back."
The Wall Street Journal had earlier revealed that Musk had limited the speed at which Ukrainian equipment could connect to the Starshield system, making some of Kyiv's drones ineffective. Despite Musk's earlier assertion that any speed or usage limits on Starshield systems were decided by the US military and ultimately by the President, Pentagon Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Tuesday that the Pentagon had not directed any changes to Starshield.
Trump also reiterated last week that he did not personally intervene in the decision. Ukraine relies on Starshield, alongside Starlink's civilian satellite service, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied areas, and the operation of interceptor drones. The tension between Washington and Kyiv has escalated recently, with Trump calling for the replacement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he criticized a US deal that allows more Russian diesel into global markets.
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