Trump pushes Zelensky towards surrender: Starshield curbs re-imposed, Donbas back on the table | GRAVITAS

As US special envoys met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, both sides welcomed progress in the talks. But a ceasefire remains elusive. While Washington is pushing Kyiv to surrender the Donbas region, fresh disruptions to Starshield have raised questions over whether the US is using its control over critical satellite connectivity to pressure Ukraine into making territorial concessions.

Just after the talks concluded, Ukraine reported substantial disruptions to Starshield. The development came as Russia launched another massive wave of aerial attacks on Ukrainian territory. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia launched 117 drones, including 63 jet-powered drones, towards the country. Ukraine claimed to have neutralised 80 of them. However, several locations were hit.

At least two people were killed and seven others injured in a strike on Odesa. A private home and several cars were damaged in the attack.

A hospital in Kyiv also came under attack overnight. The drone strike sparked a fire and partially damaged the second floor of the facility. One person was injured, while 30 others were evacuated to safety. Ukrainian authorities also reported a Russian strike on Zaporizhia, which killed a 17-year-old and injured four others.

Russia reports massive Ukrainian drone attack

On the other side of the border, Russia claimed to have shot down nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones overnight, describing it as one of the largest swarms launched by Kyiv. Nine people across Russia were killed in the attacks. Russia also witnessed a second car bombing in successive days. A former top aide to ex-Ukrainian prime minister Mykola Azarov was wounded in a car bomb attack in Moscow. A day earlier, a member of the Russian military was killed in a car bombing in St Petersburg.

Zelensky rejects US push for Donbas concessions

Amid the escalating attacks, Zelensky has flatly rejected suggestions from the US that Ukraine should withdraw from the territory it controls in Donbas to bring the war with Russia to an end. But could the latest restrictions on Starshield be an attempt to push Kyiv towards territorial concessions? Starshield, the military version of Starlink, provides high-speed, jam-resistant satellite internet to the Ukrainian military. The system connects combat units, command posts and unmanned systems in real time.

Starshield-enabled connections help pilots maintain links with drones, supporting operations against Russian military positions, supply lines and infrastructure. According to Zelensky, the latest Starshield curbs have adversely affected Ukraine's ability to intercept and shoot down Russia's jet-powered drones. The Ukrainian president stressed that the disruptions had allowed Russian forces to kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes.

A repeat of October's Starlink and Starshield restrictions?

There is a precedent. Restrictions were also imposed on Starshield and Starlink in Ukraine in October. At the time, US President Donald Trump was reportedly miffed with Ukraine over its strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump had claimed that the attacks were responsible for high fuel prices in the US. While the services were restored on October 24, neither SpaceX CEO Elon Musk nor the US government took responsibility for imposing the restrictions.

Europe's role in the next round of peace talks

On the diplomatic front, US special envoy Jared Kushner said European countries would be at the table for the next round of Ukraine-Russia talks aimed at ending the war. The Kremlin, however, offered a slightly different assessment. It said Russia would be open to European countries participating in the negotiations only after establishing that they had a genuine intention to contribute to the peace process.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas suggested that she could represent Europe in the talks. Russia refused to comment on that possibility. Earlier, Putin told the US special envoys that the presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory would be absolutely unacceptable to Moscow. He warned that such troops would be considered legitimate targets for Russian forces.

Amid these diplomatic exchanges, Kallas insisted that a ceasefire must come before any discussions on post-war security arrangements.

With attacks continuing on both sides, disagreements over territorial concessions persisting and the future of Ukraine's security guarantees still unresolved, progress in talks has yet to translate into a path towards a ceasefire.