Trump Says Musk Restored Ukraine’s Starlink Access, Won’t Say if He Made the Call

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s Starlink access, hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump personally called the SpaceX chief and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of the satellite network.

Asked by reporters whether he had spoken to Musk, Trump declined to say. “I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference, I guess. The bottom line – he put it back,” Trump said, according to Reuters.

The Journal reported that Trump told Musk he was frustrated that Starlink speeds for Ukraine remained capped. Citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials, the newspaper said the system was working more normally on Thursday, shortly after the conversation, though some Ukrainian officials told the paper it had not been restored to full functionality.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier Thursday that Starlink speeds had not been restored for Ukraine, and that he hoped to discuss the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the coming days.

A week of questions over who ordered the slowdown

Ukraine uses Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations. The restrictions hampered the country’s attack and air defense drone missions against Russia, Reuters reported. Kyiv’s military relies on the satellite system to guide drone fleets, including interceptors used against Russian strikes, according to The Sun (Ireland).

Musk wrote on X that Starshield, the military version of Starlink, is owned and controlled by the U.S. government. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately POTUS,” he wrote.

Trump has denied any role in the decision to slow the service. On Wednesday, Rubio told reporters that decisions about Ukraine’s Starlink access were up to SpaceX and Musk, not the White House.

Strikes continued as the service dispute played out

The Sun, citing the Journal’s reporting, said Musk ordered the slowdown after Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel hubs pushed fuel prices higher. Trump had accused Kyiv of “seriously hurting the world diesel markets” by continuing strikes on Russian refineries, the Sun reported.

Asked about the episode on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance said: “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.”

Ukrainian officials and European allies condemned the outage. “Let me be blunt: the blood of Ukrainian children will be on the hands of the owner and the entire team of this American company,” Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk said, according to The Sun.

The dispute played out as Russia hit Kyiv with ballistic missiles on Thursday and Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow, Reuters reported. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Trump promised to end the war quickly after taking office, a goal that has remained elusive.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and The Sun (Ireland).