Trump called Musk to lift Starlink restrictions affecting Ukraine's military operation: Report

President Donald Trump called Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked the SpaceX chief to remove restrictions on a military-grade version of Starlink in Ukraine, which Musk had throttled, according to US officials in an article published in The Wall Street Journal. The satellite internet system was operating more normally on Thursday, shortly after the conversation, US and Ukrainian officials said. However, some Ukrainian officials reported that full functionality had not been restored, although connection speeds had improved compared with the restricted levels.

According to officials, Trump told Musk he was frustrated that Starlink’s speeds remained capped at around 100 miles an hour. The restriction left some Ukrainian offensive drones and interceptors unable to effectively counter Russian attacks. The conversation followed a Wall Street Journal report revealing that Musk had ordered the slowdown. SpaceX and the White House have offered differing accounts of whether Musk made the decision independently or at the administration’s direction.

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Trump has told aides and allies this week that he wanted to reverse the Starlink slowdown. Ukrainian forces rely on the satellite network to defend positions along the front line, officials said. For the past week, the president and senior administration officials have faced questions about why Starlink was throttled and whether the administration directed the move. The slowdown started days after Trump and Musk publicly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for attacking Russian diesel refineries, which Trump blames for higher energy prices. Trump has repeatedly denied ordering the restriction or knowing who was responsible. The Journal previously reported that he spoke with Musk hours after the slowdown became public.

The connectivity problems further strained US-Ukraine relations, bringing them to their lowest point in months. Asked about Musk’s decision to throttle Starlink, Vice President 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.” “I don’t think this is about Elon. I think it’s fundamentally about what America’s policy in Ukraine and Russia is going to be,” he continued.

Vance’s remarks differed from statements by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Musk had the authority to enforce his company’s terms of service without input from the administration. “There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to, and that’s where Starlink has the option to make those decisions,” Hegseth said, speaking to reporters earlier this week.

The speed restriction prevented Ukrainian hardware traveling at high speeds from maintaining connections to Starlink’s satellite network, according to people familiar with the matter. Ukrainian officials warned that the move would cost Ukrainian lives. On Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) announced an investigation into how Starlink’s service was degraded for Ukraine without notice and the implications of the Pentagon’s dependence on SpaceX for critical satellite communications.