Musk Proposed Limiting Ukraine's Starlink to Trump, Telegraph Reports

Elon Musk approached Donald Trump with a proposal to limit Starlink services in Ukraine, The Telegraph reported on October 16, citing four sources familiar with the discussions; one said Trump “agreed”, paving the way for the Pentagon to slow Starshield, the military-grade version of the system.

A senior source told The Telegraph that Musk had feared an “adverse consumer reaction” in Europe, and alleged both men were involved: “The reality is that they were both in it.” A senior European official and two well-placed Ukrainian sources confirmed that account.

Officials in Kyiv said earlier in the week that SpaceX had restricted Starshield access for devices travelling over 100 mph. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said: “Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions, and this led to the failure of a number of missions” (New York Times wire, via Deccan Herald).

At a Brussels press conference on Friday October 16, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s military Starlink access was “still not fully restored”: the restrictions had stopped forces shooting down Russian jet-powered drones and disrupted frontline supplies, but the White House had signalled SpaceX to restore service (Kyiv Post).

Both men deny responsibility. On October 14, Musk said any limitations had been “determined by the U.S. government”. On October 16, Trump said he did not know who had crippled access and that it was neither him nor Musk (NDTV, via ua.news). Reuters reported separately that the White House approved a reduction in Starshield services.