A member of US President Donald Trump’s Republican party warned on Monday, Oct. 19, that anyone who tries to restrict Ukraine’s use of Starshield will face accountability, including a full investigation, public hearings and steep budget cuts.
US Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, announced on X that he will speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team this week about Starshield, sanctions on Russia and other issues tied to Ukraine’s defense.
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He said Congress would reaffirm that Ukraine is an indispensable ally and Russia a self-declared enemy of the US.
“The United States will 100% support and defend the people of Ukraine in their fight for their own freedom against this brutal, illegal, and unprovoked Russian invasion,” Fitzpatrick said, urging a complete ban on Russian oil imports and the toughest sanctions yet on Moscow.
Each measure, he said, would be brought to the White House and pass by an overwhelming margin.
On Oct. 10, a day after Trump’s abrupt diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Fitzpatrick pledged to introduce bipartisan legislation, the “Roland Reagan Peace Through Strength Act,” blocking all purchases of Russian oil.
Starlink limits still cripple Ukraine’s drones
Separately on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that Ukrainian units were still losing satellite connections.
After a report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, Zelensky said that Starlink and Starshield equipment still stops working at 130-160 km/h (81-100 mph) along various parts of the front.
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The restrictions are significantly slowing frontline logistics and limiting the use of several types of drones, including mid-strike drones and the interceptors Ukraine relies on against jet-powered Shahed drones.
“This must be raised with partners once again at all levels,” Zelensky said. “Speed matters for protecting lives.”
The limits first disrupted Ukrainian drone operations overnight on Oct. 13-14; around the same time, Ukrainian authorities also reported that they hadn’t received a partner warning about Russian ballistic missiles.
The next day, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claimed that the US military, and ultimately Trump, sets speed limits on Ukraine’s Starshield terminals – not his company.
The Telegraph later reported, citing four sources, that Musk himself had proposed throttling the service and that Trump approved it. Trump, however, rejected that account.
“I don’t know if it was somebody, because it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon,” Trump told reporters. “And, as far as I understand, everything is the same as it’s always been.”
Sanctions waiver deepens rift
The Starlink dispute is unfolding alongside a growing public feud between Kyiv and Washington.
The tensions date back to Oct. 9, when a Ukrainian delegation met senior US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Miami, hoping to reach a breakthrough on ending Russia’s aggression.
During the talks, the envoys reportedly warned that Washington would cut off intelligence sharing if Kyiv kept striking Russian oil refineries.
Several US outlets also reported that the administration threatened to suspend the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), the mechanism through which European allies buy American weapons for Ukraine, including Patriot interceptors.
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker denied any changes to the PURL on Oct. 13.
Currently, Ukraine is facing a critical shortage of Patriots, which are the only weapons systems capable of deterring Russia’s ballistic missiles.
While the talks were still underway, Trump announced a diesel deal with Putin in Washington, under which Russia would supply hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel to US and global markets.
The US Treasury then lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports through April 2027.
Around the same time, Trump slammed Kyiv for refinery strikes and called for a new president in Ukraine. “Zelensky could have settled this war many, many times, but he chooses not to,” Trump told reporters. “I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
On Oct. 14, a total of 12 senators – six Republicans and six Democrats – signed a joint letter urging Trump to rescind his deal with Putin, calling it a gift to Moscow and a betrayal of Ukraine.
“This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded,” the senators wrote, demanding the president to enforce the new Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by Trump just three weeks before striking the deal.
Despite condemnation from Ukraine, the EU and his own party members, Trump signed an executive order Friday, Oct. 16, waiving sweeping Russia sanctions and tariffs set to take effect Sunday, Oct. 18.
The White House defended this decision, saying it will allow for a peaceful resolution to Russia’s war.