Kiev has accused Washington of cutting the Ukrainian military off from the satellite communications services provided by Elon Musk’s company
US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that he did not order restrictions on Ukraine’s military access to Starlink satellite services, adding that he did not believe SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had done so either.
Ukrainian state and military officials earlier this week accused SpaceX of abruptly restricting access to Starlink satellite communications services and Starshield, its military-grade version, which Kiev relies on for frontline drone operations. Musk responded that Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government. The billionaire stressed that Starlink should be used only for civilian and defensive purposes, arguing that employing its systems for offensive operations would be “inappropriate for a commercial company.”
The development followed US President Donald Trump stepping up pressure on Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he blames for surging global energy prices. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainian leader to hold a long-overdue presidential election.
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