Brief
US official says Trump never ordered Starshield limits for Ukraine
A senior US official told Bloomberg that President Donald Trump never ordered any restrictions on Ukraine's use of SpaceX's Starshield satellite system.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A senior U.S. official told Bloomberg on Thursday that President Donald Trump never asked for any limits on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s Starshield satellite technology, directly contradicting statements made by Elon Musk.
Musk posted on X that "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," and said the limits were set by the Pentagon and the president. The unnamed official said the claim about Trump ordering limits is false, but did not specify who, if anyone, imposed the restrictions.
The dispute follows a brief outage of Starshield and Starlink services to Ukraine earlier in the week. A Ukrainian official told Axios that both services were restored to full capacity after being throttled for more than a day. Starshield, a secure military version of Starlink, is used by Ukraine for offensive operations, while Starlink is used mainly for defensive purposes.
During the same period, Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery despite Trump’s public demand that it stop attacking such sites. The Ukrainian official said the strike resumed because Russia continued hitting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, even after Trump announced an energy cease‑fire that Zelensky called a surprise.
Last week, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian oil sales, a move Zelensky described as a "weak decision" and a "gift to Putin." The Starshield limitation issue adds further strain to U.S.–Ukraine relations.
Key facts
- A senior US official said President Trump never ordered limits on Ukraine's use of Starshield. (timesnownews.com)
- Elon Musk claimed on X that limits on Starshield are set by the US military and the president. (timesnownews.com)
- Starshield and Starlink services to Ukraine were restored after a more‑than‑day throttling, according to a Ukrainian official. (timesnownews.com)
- Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery despite Trump's demand to halt such attacks. (timesnownews.com)
- The Trump administration recently lifted sanctions on Russian oil sales. (timesnownews.com)
Sources
- [1] timesnownews.com — originally reported as “Starshield Limits on Ukraine: US Official Says It Wasn’t Ordered by Trump, Contradicting Musk's Claim”
