Technology and Scienceupdated 39m ago3 min read
Biden and Trump Administrations Asked SpaceX To Alter Starlink In Ukraine, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran
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Biden and Trump administrations repeatedly asked SpaceX to switch Starlink on or off in Ukraine. Requests included restricting service to Houthis and Hezbollah in the Middle East.
One story. Different accounts.
“Reuters has reported that the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House.”
“President Trump denied involvement in the original restrictions.”
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Requests span years
Six former senior US officials told Reuters that the Biden and Trump administrations repeatedly asked SpaceX to operate Starlink or shut it down in various countries long before this month’s restrictions on Ukraine’s military access. The Biden administration asked SpaceX to disable Starlink terminals believed to be used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and officials also requested that the company activate Starlink inside Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. The Biden administration also asked SpaceX to activate Starlink in Iran during anti-government protests following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, and the Trump administration asked SpaceX to make Starlink available in Iran following US-Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026.
“‘Starlink systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government.”
Discussions between US officials and SpaceX often involved the White House and the Pentagon, and officials used intelligence assessments to identify Starlink terminals that had reached militant groups through intermediaries. Elon Musk wrote on X that “Starlink systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government,” and he added that “Any speed or usage restrictions are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately (by the president of the United States).”
Ukraine speed dispute
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that access to Starshield had been intentionally limited, interfering with the performance of Ukrainian military drones, and Zelensky also said Starlink speeds had been reduced. Zelensky’s comments came as Reuters previously reported that the order to throttle Starshield originated inside the White House, while the Trump administration acknowledged the slowdown but did not publicly confirm whether it directed the restrictions. The White House referred Reuters to Trump’s remarks on Friday, when Trump said, “If there is a problem, I’ll get it straightened out,” and Trump also said he had not spoken with Musk about the issue.
Halyna Yusypiuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, said Ukraine’s priority was “to have the service restored to normal speed as soon as possible, as the lives of our people depend on it.” Armand Musey, president of Summit Ridge Group, said Musk “is supposed to be a business executive, with government contracts, and he’s essentially making huge foreign policy decisions,” and Musey said Musk is “sufficiently ambiguous” about whether decisions reflect personal quirks or outside influence.
Congress and uncertainty
The recent blowup over restrictions to Ukraine’s use of Starlink raised questions about the ties between the US government and Musk, and it said European officials were rattled by the limits on Ukraine despite it being a US ally. European officials were rattled by the limits on Ukraine despite it being a US ally, and some argued that Europe must develop its own military satellite communications capabilities because no viable short-term alternative currently exists. A bipartisan group of senators called for a Pentagon inspector general investigation into the disruptions, and four Democratic senators followed with a letter demanding that SpaceX clarify its role in restricting Ukraine’s access to satellite services.
Patrick Bolder said, “Starlink wasn’t designed for military operations because it was designed for civil use,” and Bolder said Ukraine’s reliance on Starlink had grown far beyond what its developers originally envisioned. The Media Line said a bipartisan group of senators called for a Pentagon inspector general investigation into the disruptions, and it said four Democratic senators followed with a letter demanding that SpaceX clarify its role in restricting Ukraine’s access to satellite services.