UK says it will press US to keep backing Ukraine as relations sour

A British minister said the UK will lobby Washington to maintain aid to Kyiv after recent US policy moves and a reported Starlink speed limit.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:31:46 GMT

Britain will continue to “make the case” to the United States to keep supporting Ukraine, a minister said on Monday, as diplomatic friction deepens between Kyiv and Washington.

What happened

Over the past week, relations between Ukraine and the United States have deteriorated following President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel amid rising fuel prices. On Wednesday, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that SpaceX had imposed a speed limit on Starlink terminals mounted on Ukrainian drones, affecting Ukraine’s ability to defend against aerial attacks.

What the reports add

Both Standard articles note that Elon Musk said the military version of Starlink is controlled by the U.S. government, putting responsibility for any disruption on the Pentagon and ultimately on President Trump.
By Wednesday night, reports said the speed‑limit had been partially lifted, but Ukrainian forces were still struggling to intercept Russian attacks.
Zelensky told the Financial Times that Ukraine would resume attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying Moscow had failed to observe Trump’s demand for an “energy ceasefire”.
Baroness Jacqui Smith, the UK skills minister, told Times Radio, “I think we have shown clearly what our position is with respect to Ukraine. We will continue to make the case to the US and other allies that we think they should be providing the kind of support that we are providing to Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be “careful” in his language about Trump’s diesel deal as he was “laying the ground” for reconciliation, and vowed that the UK’s support for Ukraine “will not change” while accelerating supplies of crucial air‑defence missiles.

What was said

“The military version of Starlink is controlled by the US government,” Elon Musk said, placing the blame for the speed‑limit on the Pentagon and President Trump.

“He speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people. Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong,” Zelensky said of Trump, as reported by the Financial Times.

“We will continue to make the case to the US and other allies that we think they should be providing the kind of support that we are providing to Ukraine,” Baroness Jacqui Smith told Times Radio.

How it came about

The tension follows a series of recent developments covered by Felo News, including the UK minister’s call on Oct. 11 for Washington and Kyiv to reconcile after a controversial US‑Russia diesel deal (see article), and a 90‑minute call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin on Oct. 10 that touched on the diesel arrangement and sanctions (see article). These events have contributed to the strained diplomatic environment in which the current UK‑US lobbying effort is taking place.

Key facts

Britain will continue to lobby the United States to maintain support for Ukraine. (standard.co.uk)
Relations between Ukraine and the US have worsened after President Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel. (standard.co.uk)
An adviser to President Zelensky claimed SpaceX imposed a speed limit on Starlink terminals used on Ukrainian drones. (standard.co.uk)
Elon Musk said the military version of Starlink is controlled by the US government, blaming the Pentagon and President Trump for any disruption. (standard.co.uk)
By Wednesday night the speed limit was reported to be partially lifted, but Ukrainian forces still faced difficulties intercepting Russian attacks. (standard.co.uk)