• Wion
  • /World
  • /Zelensky feels betrayed by Trump, urges Musk to restore Starlink in Ukraine; Musk responds

Zelensky feels betrayed by Trump, urges Musk to restore Starlink in Ukraine; Musk responds

Zelensky feels betrayed by Trump, urges Musk to restore Starlink in Ukraine; Musk responds

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham (R) during a meeting at 10 Downing Street, in central London, on October 14, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)

Story highlights

Zelensky has reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to its US partnership despite criticising Donald Trump's stance and urging Elon Musk to address restrictions on Starlink services used by Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reaffirmed Kyiv's commitment to its partnership with the United States despite expressing a sense of betrayal over President Donald Trump's stance on an energy ceasefire and a Russian diesel deal.

During a visit to London on Wednesday, Zelensky also urged billionaire Elon Musk to restore the Starlink system used by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, alleging that its performance had been restricted.

Ukraine has accused Washington of failing to warn it about incoming Russian missile strikes and weakening its military response through changes to Starlink, which plays a key role in battlefield communications.

Zelensky reaffirms US partnership despite differences

Speaking to Burnham ahead of a closed-door bilateral meeting in London, Zelensky said Ukraine wanted to maintain strong ties with Washington.

"We count on (our) partnership with the United States," Zelensky said.

Trending Stories

"We just want to be very honest, very clear, be strong partners," the Ukrainian leader added.

However, in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan on his YouTube channel, Uncensored, Zelensky said he felt Ukraine was losing US support.

"That's why it's painful when President Trump chooses one side ... not our side," he said.

"I think his advisors are wrong. I don't know who is pushing him not to the right side... this is not (the) right side of history," Zelensky told Morgan.

Musk responds to Zelensky's Starlink appeal

Zelensky also called on Musk to restore the Starlink system after Ukraine accused the service of being slowed down in a way that could benefit Russia.

Responding on X, Musk said Starshield, a separate system, was controlled by the US government, while Starlink was a commercial service operated by SpaceX. He also said Starlink was not intended for offensive military operations.

"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.

Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company," Musk wrote.

About the Author

Ajaypal Choudhary

Driven by a deep interest in international politics and geo-economics, Ajaypal Choudhary writes on and analyses a wide range of subjects from geopolitics and the global economy to ...Read More