LONDON, October 24. /TASS/. The White House has repeatedly requested SpaceX to switch on or off its satellite internet services globally to advance US foreign policy priorities, Reuters reported, citing sources.
The news agency noted that Kiev had previously complained about operational restrictions on the SpaceX satellite communication terminals used by the Ukrainian military. Although US officials denied imposing any restrictions, President Donald Trump stated on October 22 that Kiev’s access to the Starshield military communications network had been restored, without specifying who originally ordered the connection to be slowed down. Meanwhile, some US politicians, primarily Democrats, are demanding an investigation into why Starshield access for Kiev was restricted.
According to Reuters, the White House had utilized SpaceX services to advance its geopolitical agenda long before this incident. In 2023 and 2024, the Joe Biden administration requested the company to block pro-Iranian forces in Yemen and Lebanon from using Starlink terminals that US intelligence believed they had acquired.
Furthermore, in 2024, SpaceX submitted filings to the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, stating that it collaborates closely with the government on export licensing and technology security to further US national security and foreign policy interests.
Citing two former officials, the agency reported that in 2022, following the start of Russia's special military operation, Biden administration officials asked SpaceX to expand the Ukrainian military's access to Starlink. That same autumn, the White House requested SpaceX to ensure internet availability in Iran amid local protests. While the US successfully smuggled Starlink terminals into Iran at the time, sources did not specify the exact number. The Trump administration took similar steps during its operations against the country in 2025 and 2026.
"The Biden-era and Trump requests to Musk show a close relationship in which US administrations rely to an unprecedented degree on a private-sector company to help implement foreign policy," the agency says.