US President Donald Trump has denied limiting Ukraine's access to Starlink's sister internet network Starshield after it restricted drone speed, hampering Kyiv's ability to protect itself from Russian attacks. "It wasn't me and I don't think it was [Starlink owner] Elon [Musk]," Trump said, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said speed had yet to be restored. Musk himself suggested the US government might have been behind the restrictions, while news agency reported on Thursday that the order had come from inside the White House.
Ukraine was hit by several deadly strikes on Tuesday after the network slowdown. Starlink is a civilian-use high-speed internet network operated by Musk's SpaceX. Starshield - which relies on Starlink- is its military-grade sister service that was designed for the Pentagon.
The US had previously warned it could withhold sharing intelligence, crucial for Kyiv's defences, if Ukraine did not stop hitting Russian oil refineries. Tension has been brewing between Washington and Kyiv for days over a recent controversial diesel deal between Russia and the US. Zelensky - angered by the deal - resumed targeting Russian oil refineries this week in a move criticised by Trump after he announced a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
Kyiv said it would only stop the strikes if Moscow did the same. "If I don't stand up to this... who else will?" Zelensky asked EU leaders at a summit on Friday. Trump had also said that Zelensky was "more difficult to deal with than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin".
But speaking to reporters as he left the White House on Friday, the US president said he had a good relationship with his Ukrainian counterpart. Asked about Starshield, he said he was "not sure" it "ever came down". Musk earlier explained that Starshield was managed by the US government, and that the Pentagon could have been responsible.
In its report about the alleged order regarding Starshield, quoted two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. The US government has allowed Ukraine to use Starlink and Starshield in its defence against Russia. Musk cut Moscow's access to the service in February, giving Kyiv an advantage in the conflict.
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