WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump called Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starlink, the Wall Street Journal reported on Oct 22, citing US officials.
The Starlink system was working more normally on Oct 22, shortly after the Trump-Musk conversation, according to US and Ukrainian officials cited by the Journal.
Some Ukrainian officials told the newspaper the system was not restored to full functionality but was working at higher speeds than under the cap.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Oct 22 that Starlink speed had not been restored for Ukraine, adding that he hoped for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the coming days.
Trump told Musk he was frustrated the system’s speeds remained capped at around 100mph (160kmh), the Journal said, citing officials.
Rubio said on Oct 21 that decisions regarding Ukraine’s access to Starlink were up to its parent company SpaceX and its chief executive officer Musk, not the White House.
Ukraine uses Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations.
Restricting the satellite service hampered the country’s attack and air defence drone missions against Russia. REUTERS