Donald Trump has denied responsibility for restricting Ukraine’s use of the military version of Starlink, insisting “it’s the same as it’s always been”.
Yet Ukraine was blindsided on Wednesday when Starshield began experiencing signal failures at speeds above 160kph, leaving the country suddenly unable to shoot down Russian jet-powered drones.
Starshield forms the backbone of Ukraine’s air defence systems and its access to the system also gives it a technological edge over Russia, which lost access following its invasion.
Ukrainian officials are reportedly negotiating with the White House to regain unrestricted access, but the lack of equivalent systems among its European allies means Kyiv could be forced into uncomfortable choices if Trump decides to push for concessions in his bid to end the war.
What is Starshield and who restricted Ukraine’s access?
Starshield is a military version of SpaceX’s Starlink network, it has separate fees and terms from the civilian satellite service, as well as a more stable, higher priority connection.
SpaceX owner, Elon Musk, agreed to suspend Russian access to the network following Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Musk, though, has also been a frequent critic of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has in past threatened to suspend or limit Ukraine’s access.
However, in the wake of news Ukraine had seen restrictions placed on Starshield, the SpaceX head insisted he was not responsible and instead suggested the Pentagon was in charge of managing access.
Reuters and other US outlets subsequently reported the White House had ordered the Pentagon to impose the restrictions, with some suggesting Trump himself may have been responsible.
The President has become embroiled in a war of words with Zelenskyy after his widely condemned announcement he had agreed a deal to import diesel from Russia.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, though, Trump pushed back.
“We didn’t do that. We didn’t slow it down at all,” he said.
“I don’t know if it was anybody, but it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon.”
In an interview with the Associated Press, Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence technology advisor to Zelenskyy, appeared to confirm Musk’s characterisation of who managed access to Starshield.
He also described the restrictions as “not only a technical issue and not only a business issue, but also a political one”, suggesting Ukraine maintains its belief the White House intervened.
Will the restrictions be lifted?
Trump’s comments suggest the President is in no hurry to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starshield.
Despite this, Zelenskyy told European leaders on Friday he was confident full access would be restored, adding he was working to repair ties with Washington.
Meanwhile, Beskrestnov said Ukraine was negotiating with the Pentagon, SpaceX and US government officials to have the restrictions lifted.
He did not indicate how long talks could take, or what the US might demand in exchange for restoring access.
Do lack of alternatives present a wider risk for Europe?
The abrupt nature of Starshield’s disruption in Ukraine has caused significant concern in Kyiv.
In addition to fears of similar restrictions being again imposed without warning or explanation, Ukrainian officials are also concerned the move could be used to exact painful concessions which could ultimately favour Russia.
Beyond Ukraine, the restrictions have also shone a spotlight on the US’ dominance of satellite communications technology.
Starlink is widely used across Europe, and while the exact number of nations who rely on its military version for defence is not known the ability for the US to limit or cut off access presents a significant risk.
Some nations rely on versions of OneWeb, a French alternative, for satellite communications, with Ukraine exploring whether to shift some or all of its systems across.
Amazon is also in the process of building a competitor network, but it is unclear when this will come online and whether it will be well positioned to offer a military version.
This leaves Starshield as the best option for the majority of nations, even in light of the potential for Trump or future US administrations to limit their use.