Trump Denies White House Ordered Starlink Restrictions in Ukraine

Former U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Friday that the White House had ordered restrictions on SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet services provided to Ukraine. The statement comes after Ukrainian officials reported earlier this week that SpaceX had limited the use of Starshield, a military-grade version of Starlink, without warning. These restrictions reportedly impeded Ukrainian armed forces' data gathering and communications amid intensified Russian attacks.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had previously indicated that any restrictions on Starlink or Starshield in Ukraine would stem from decisions by the U.S. government or the president. Musk wrote on X that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. However, in response to reporters' questions on Friday, Trump stated that neither he nor anyone in the White House had issued such orders.

Ukrainian forces have relied on Starlink and Starshield for various operations, including drone control and other communications. The reported restrictions specifically affected vehicles traveling above 160 kilometers per hour. Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated on Telegram that the limitations led to the failure of several military missions due to the lack of prior notification.

Reports from The Telegraph suggest that Musk himself approached Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in Ukraine. Reuters, citing U.S. officials, had previously reported that the directive to restrict Starlink came from the White House but did not specify who issued the order. The situation raises questions regarding the use of satellite services in military conflicts and the involvement of private technology companies.