Recent efforts to restrict Ukraine’s use of satellite systems have sparked something of a blame game among Trump administration officials and their allies, who have given mixed messages about what led to sudden restrictions on Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian attacks.
Restrictions on Starshield — the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network service and the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communications — alarmed the country’s military and government officials last week, with commanders reporting drone losses and mission disruptions. After days of anxiety, President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that the service was running at full speed again.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a remote speech on Friday at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank, that restrictions remain in place.
The incident and subsequent lack of accountability sent shockwaves through Russia hawks and Ukraine’s allies on Capitol Hill. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal announced a new investigation into how technology slowed down Ukraine’s defense systems.
Questions have lingered since last week about who ordered the disruption of a Musk-made satellite network system that Ukraine has relied on for years to counter attacks by Moscow.
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As recently as Thursday, Trump insisted he had not made the decision. Vice President J.D. Vance suggested the White House would coordinate with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegers denied any government involvement.
Musk, one of the top Republican donors and a Trump ally, said questions about the service should be directed to the Pentagon because Ukraine is using a military-grade version of its technology.
Here are the words of the players themselves:
President Donald Trump
Last week, Trump repeatedly told reporters that he did not order restrictions on the satellite communications system used by the Ukrainian military, causing the drone to stall.
The president had earlier suspected the interference was coming from Musk, who had been a close adviser and frequent companion.
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“Well, I don’t know if it was anybody, but it wasn’t me and I don’t think it was Elon,” Trump said on Friday. “From what I understand, it’s the same as it has always been.”
On Thursday, Trump appeared to confirm the service was down and claimed it was running at optimal speeds again. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had agreed to lift the restrictions, but Trump demurred when asked if he wanted them lifted.
“You know, it doesn’t make any difference whether I call or somebody else calls,” Trump told reporters. “I guess the bottom line is, he put it back.”
Vice President J.D. Vance
In Cincinnati on Thursday, Vance was asked whether Musk was involved in the slowdown of Ukraine’s Starlink and StarShield programs and whether it merited an investigation.
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“I think fundamentally Musk runs a private company,” Vance told reporters. “I think it’s completely understandable that he wouldn’t want to get involved in a war between two state actors without the U.S. government effectively guiding him on what to do.”
Vance continued: “So I don’t think this is about Elon. I think this is fundamentally U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Rubio insisted that the Trump administration and the broader U.S. government had nothing to do with the disruption in Ukraine’s access to vital satellite data.
Speaking to reporters in India on Wednesday, Rubio said for the third time in four days that any restrictions on Ukraine’s internet access were not a directive or order from Trump or anyone else in his administration. However, he said the system’s owner – Musk – could be involved.
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“I can tell you with certainty that neither the President of the United States nor anyone in our system has asked for any changes to be made to the system, and that’s what we’ve said repeatedly,” Rubio said. “The President has nothing to do with Starlink and StarShield and the decisions that Mr. Musk makes. That is a private company. The President does not run that company and cannot direct the company to do anything.”
Secretary of Defense Peter Heggs
Echoing Rubio’s comments, Hegseth on Tuesday denied that the United States had played any role in slowing down satellite internet service while also shifting the blame to Musk’s company.
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“We’re not withdrawing anything,” Hegseth told reporters, before adding, “There are some terms of service that ultimately need to be adhered to.”
He did not elaborate on what terms of service Ukraine would be subject to, but said “Starlink has the option to make those decisions.”
SpaceX CEO Musk
Musk, the world’s richest man and leader of Starlink and StarShield, last week blamed the Trump administration.
“The StarShield system is owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any limitations on speed or use are determined by the U.S. military and ultimately the President of the United States,” he wrote on X on October 14.
“Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. The use of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military operations because doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” Musk added.
Ukrainian President Zedimir Zelensky
The wartime president has been working to reverse restrictions imposed without warning last week.
Shortly after the systems became inoperable, Zelensky said similar restrictions did not exist in EU countries and applied only to Ukraine. “In other words, it was a planned operation,” he said.
Read more: Zelensky urges support for new U.S. sanctions on Russia suspended by Trump
Speaking to a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Monday, Zelensky said in a briefing video posted on social media, “We are still facing speed limits on Starlink and StarShield services in different areas on the front lines, and we still don’t have any explanation for that. Just different weird stories.”
Zelensky said he spoke with Rubio this week, and Rubio told him that StarShield and Starlink services would be fully restored within 48 to 72 hours.
But Ukraine’s president said on Friday that Starlink and StarShield restrictions remain in place and have not yet been restored. He said Ukraine had conducted multiple inspections and faced the same speed limit of about 100 mph (160 kph).
Amiri reported from New York and Akhilova reported from Kiev, Ukraine. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim, Konstantin Toropin, Matthew Lee and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
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