The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter told Reuters, in a revelation that has deepened the rift between Washington and Kyiv.
Leaders at the Defense Department received a message that the SpaceX Starshield service for the Ukrainian military needed to be slowed, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity and did not specify who in the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing it.
Denial from a senior official
In response to Reuters' questions, a senior US official said: "No such request was ever made by the president." The White House did not respond to questions about whether other administration officials might have made the request.
Starshield is the military-grade version of the Starlink service, developed by SpaceX specifically for government and national-security customers. The Pentagon is Starshield's biggest customer. Ukrainian officials said this week that military-grade Starlink receptors stopped working in Ukraine when mounted on fast-moving objects, interfering with the performance of Ukrainian drones that rely on them for onboard guidance. A person in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the receptors were now working when in motion, but only at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
Why it matters
The move came as President Donald Trump has pressured Kyiv to stop its attacks on Russian refineries, which he has blamed for soaring energy prices that could hurt his Republican Party in the November midterm elections. Experts say the surge in energy costs is mainly the result of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which brought Iranian attacks on energy facilities and has largely shut the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions complicated strike missions against Russian forces and slowed interceptor drones used to shoot down incoming Russian Shahed drones. Elon Musk said on X that because Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military or the president.
Strain at the top
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated since a meeting in Miami on October 9, where Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff struck a tough tone over Ukraine's continued strikes on Russian refineries, according to a person familiar with the matter. The US also struck a deal for Russia to supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to US and global markets, drawing backlash from some US lawmakers. Ukrainian officials said that when they called the White House, State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday and Wednesday to seek answers, they were told it was a White House decision.
Sources:
Reuters: Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House, sources say
Reuters: EU leaders rally around Zelenskiy as Trump calls Ukrainian strikes on Russia a 'disgrace'
Leaders at the Defense Department received a message that the SpaceX Starshield service for the Ukrainian military needed to be slowed, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity and did not specify who in the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing it.
Denial from a senior official
In response to Reuters' questions, a senior US official said: "No such request was ever made by the president." The White House did not respond to questions about whether other administration officials might have made the request.
Starshield is the military-grade version of the Starlink service, developed by SpaceX specifically for government and national-security customers. The Pentagon is Starshield's biggest customer. Ukrainian officials said this week that military-grade Starlink receptors stopped working in Ukraine when mounted on fast-moving objects, interfering with the performance of Ukrainian drones that rely on them for onboard guidance. A person in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the receptors were now working when in motion, but only at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
Why it matters
The move came as President Donald Trump has pressured Kyiv to stop its attacks on Russian refineries, which he has blamed for soaring energy prices that could hurt his Republican Party in the November midterm elections. Experts say the surge in energy costs is mainly the result of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which brought Iranian attacks on energy facilities and has largely shut the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions complicated strike missions against Russian forces and slowed interceptor drones used to shoot down incoming Russian Shahed drones. Elon Musk said on X that because Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military or the president.
Strain at the top
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated since a meeting in Miami on October 9, where Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff struck a tough tone over Ukraine's continued strikes on Russian refineries, according to a person familiar with the matter. The US also struck a deal for Russia to supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to US and global markets, drawing backlash from some US lawmakers. Ukrainian officials said that when they called the White House, State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday and Wednesday to seek answers, they were told it was a White House decision.
Sources:
Reuters: Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House, sources say
Reuters: EU leaders rally around Zelenskiy as Trump calls Ukrainian strikes on Russia a 'disgrace'
