Trump says Musk restored Ukraine’s Starlink access, declines to say if they spoke

On Thursday, Donald Trump asserted that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine's Starlink access, though he refrained from confirming whether he personally spoke with the entrepreneur about the matter. The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that Trump had called Musk, urging him to lift the restrictions on Ukraine's utilization of Starlink.

When questioned about his involvement, Trump stated he refused to comment on the specifics, declaring, "The bottom line - he put it back." Starlink is crucial for battlefield communications and drone operations in Ukraine, and its restrictions had impeded the nation's offensive and air defense drone missions against Russia. On Thursday, the Starlink system was reportedly functioning more normally, according to the WSJ, citing US and Ukrainian officials.

While some Ukrainian officials claimed the system had not fully recovered but was operating at faster speeds than before the cap, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported to the newspaper that the Starlink speeds had not been restored for Ukraine. He expressed hope for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the upcoming days.

Trump reportedly conveyed to Musk his frustration over the continuing restrictions on the system's speeds. Trump has denied any role in the decision to limit Ukraine's Starlink access. Rubio stated on Wednesday that decisions regarding Ukraine's access to Starlink rest with SpaceX and Musk, not the White House. Zelenskiy's rapport with Washington has plummeted to unprecedented lows following Trump's announcement to purchase Russian diesel and waive fresh sanctions against Moscow.

Trump also instructed Kyiv to cease attacking Russian refineries and urged Ukrainians to replace Zelenskiy. Russia intensified attacks on Kyiv with ballistic missiles, and Ukraine dispatched hundreds of drones towards Moscow on Thursday, as both sides continued their barrage of assaults despite the latest US efforts to conclude the conflict.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Trump had vowed to end the war since assuming office, but the objective has remained unattainable.