US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump has said he would intervene to resolve any ongoing restrictions on Ukraine’s access to Starlink communications, saying he would speak to Elon Musk if the problem remained unresolved.Ukrainian officials said on Friday that speed restrictions on Starlink services were still in place, contradicting Trump’s earlier claim that access had been fully restored, Reuters reported.The restrictions have raised concerns over Ukraine’s ability to use satellite communications for military operations against Russia.
Trump says he will fix Starlink access issue
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said he had not spoken to Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, about the issue but would contact him if necessary.“If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out,” Trump said.Trump had said on Thursday that Ukraine’s access to the service had been restored. However, Ukrainian officials maintained a day later that speed curbs remained in place.
Trump defends Musk amid Ukraine dispute
Trump also defended Musk, saying he trusted the billionaire to act fairly despite concerns over the influence a private company has over communications systems vital to Ukraine’s military.
“Elon will never do anything wrong. I know him very well. He's a fair person,” Trump said.The dispute centres on Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, and Starshield, its military-focused communications system. Ukrainian officials have said restrictions on the military-grade system have disrupted the use of some drones operating behind Russian front lines and affected air defence systems used to counter Russian attacks.The restrictions have also fuelled tensions between Washington, Kyiv and Musk over responsibility for controlling access to the technology.Trump and Musk have had a turbulent relationship, including a public falling-out after Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which sought to cut government spending last year.Relations between the two have appeared to improve in recent months, with Musk attending a White House state banquet in September.