US President Trump Calls on Elon Musk to Lift Starlink Restrictions in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump reportedly spoke with Elon Musk to request the removal of speed restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink satellite internet. While a partial improvement in the system was observed following the discussion, Ukrainian officials stated that full functionality has not yet been restored.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal citing US officials, US President Donald Trump asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during a conversation to lift the speed restrictions imposed on Ukraine's use of Starlink. It was noted that while there was an increase in speed following the discussion for the system, which is critical for the Ukrainian military's field communications and drone operations, full capacity has not yet been reached.
It was reported that Trump conveyed his dissatisfaction to Musk regarding the system speed being capped at approximately 160 km/h (100 mph). Ukrainian officials had stated that the speed restrictions were negatively impacting the country's air defense and attack drone missions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that the Starlink speed had not yet fully returned to its previous level. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized in his assessment on Wednesday that decisions regarding Starlink access are under the authority of SpaceX and Elon Musk, not the White House.
Sources
- ndtv.com · Link