Musk and Trump discussed slowing Starlink for Ukraine, sources say

Four sources told The Telegraph that Musk suggested speed caps on Starlink, and Trump reportedly agreed, while Musk later blamed the US military for any restrictions.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:31:06 GMT

Elon Musk is reported to have approached President Donald Trump with a proposal to limit the speed of Starlink services used by Ukraine, according to four sources cited by The Telegraph and reported by TimesNowNews and the Sydney Morning Herald.

What happened

The proposal, described as a plan to impose speed limits on the military‑grade Starshield system, was discussed in late September. One source said Trump "agreed" to the suggestion, which would have allowed the Pentagon to enforce the slowdown. The alleged limits were said to affect Ukraine’s drone‑defence operations, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia region, where speed caps above 100 mph were reportedly applied.

What the reports add

TimesNowNews notes that the report was based on four sources familiar with the talks, including a senior European official and two Ukrainian contacts, and that the story contradicts Musk’s public claim that he was not responsible for any restrictions. The Sydney Morning Herald adds that the proposal came amid a dispute between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky over Kyiv’s strikes on Russian oil refineries, and that US officials had warned Kyiv that continued attacks could trigger a cut‑off of intelligence sharing.

What was said

According to TimesNowNews, Musk later said any speed or usage limits were decided by the US military and ultimately by Trump. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Musk denied responsibility for the slowdown, while a source said Trump "agreed" with the idea. Ukrainian President Zelensky, speaking on the fringes of an EU summit, called the slowdown a "very dangerous and unpleasant surprise," as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

How it came about

Felo News previously covered the fallout from Starlink speed caps in Ukraine (Musk blames Trump for Starlink speed limits on Ukrainian forces) and the denial by a senior US official that Trump ordered any restrictions (US official says Trump never ordered Starshield limits for Ukraine). Those earlier pieces documented the tension between the US administration, SpaceX, and Ukrainian officials over satellite‑communication limits, providing context for the new allegations of a direct Musk‑Trump discussion.

Key facts

Elon Musk approached Donald Trump with a proposal to limit Starlink speed for Ukraine (timesnownews.com)
One source said Trump agreed to the proposal, enabling a Pentagon slowdown of Starshield (smh.com.au)
Musk later said any limits were decided by the US military and the president (timesnownews.com)
Zelensky called the slowdown a dangerous surprise (smh.com.au)