Technology and Scienceupdated 1h ago3 min read
Trump Says Elon Musk Lifted Starlink Throttling for Ukraine; Kyiv Could Not Confirm
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Musk ordered Starlink throttling in Ukraine, per WSJ report. Trump says throttling lifted; Kyiv cannot independently confirm.
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Trump says throttling lifted
Donald Trump said Elon Musk reversed the throttling of the satellite Internet "Starlink" for Ukraine, but Ukraine could not confirm the change and feared Trump was behind it. Trump told reporters in Washington, "Whether I called or someone else called, it does not matter," while he said the key point was that Musk reversed the throttling of Starlink. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported, citing government officials, that Trump urged Musk on Wednesday to reverse the slowdown of the satellite Internet essential for the Ukrainian armed forces.
The slowdown had left Ukraine reporting problems with Starlink for more than a week, and President Volodymyr Zelensky accused that Ukrainian drones were hindered both in defending against Russian jet drones and in carrying out their own attacks. The WELT account said there was no official confirmation from Kyiv that the throttling had been lifted.
Call with Musk, speeds capped
The Wall Street Journal report described how Trump called Musk on Wednesday and asked him to lift Ukraine Starlink restrictions, and US and Ukrainian officials said the military-grade system appeared to be working more normally on Thursday shortly after the call. WION said Trump told Musk he was frustrated that Starlink speeds remained capped at around 100 miles an hour, and it said the restriction left some Ukrainian offensive drones and interceptors unable to effectively counter Russian attacks. WION also said some Ukrainian officials reported that full functionality had not been restored, although connection speeds had improved compared with the restricted levels.
JD Vance told reporters on Thursday, "it’s completely understandable that he doesn’t want to get in the middle of a war without the US government effectively directing him on what to do." Pete Hegseth said, "There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to, and that’s where Starlink has the option to make those decisions," while Marco Rubio’s statements were described as differing from the idea that the administration directed the move.
Security stakes and investigations
CNBC said Ukraine’s problems with SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield accelerated demand for alternative satellite internet services, while it described the situation as exposing the downsides of depending on a single provider for satellite internet communications.
CNBC quoted Robert Weissman, who said the situation is an "extreme danger" that raises antitrust and security concerns around Musk's ability to control a "crucial means of communication."
CNBC also said Sen. John Cornyn told CNBC on Wednesday that he does not believe Musk would have acted "without at least the acquiescence of the White House," and it said Cornyn called attempts to throttle Starlink service in Ukraine "frankly shameful."
The Asian outlet said Sen. Richard Blumenthal launched an inquiry into how SpaceX’s satellite tech was "degraded for Ukraine without notice," and it quoted Blumenthal saying the decision "raises serious questions about who controls critical capabilities" the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars to procure.
The Ars Technica account said the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk ordered the Starlink throttling and that the decision "sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration," while it also said Trump denied ordering the restrictions.