Trump Asked Musk to Restore Starlink Speeds in Ukraine After Slowdown, WSJ Reports

Trump Asked Musk to Restore Starlink Speeds in Ukraine After Slowdown, WSJ Reports

President Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk to remove the restrictions SpaceX imposed on a military-grade version of its Starlink satellite network in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing US officials. The request follows revelations that the world's richest man had quietly limited the network's performance for Ukrainian forces.

The restrictions capped connectivity for equipment moving faster than roughly 100 miles per hour, badly disrupting Ukrainian offensive drones and the missile interceptors used to defend against Russian attacks. Service was reportedly operating at higher speeds on Thursday, a day after Trump spoke with Musk, although some Ukrainian officials said it had not yet returned to full capacity.

Trump has denied ordering the slowdown or knowing who authorized it, while the White House and SpaceX have offered conflicting accounts of whether Musk acted independently or at the administration's direction. The restrictions came after public criticism by both men of Ukraine's president over strikes on Russian diesel refineries.

The controversy has already triggered a political backlash: Senator Richard Blumenthal announced an investigation on Thursday into the restrictions and the Pentagon's reliance on SpaceX for essential battlefield communications.

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