President Trump Rejects Claims He Ordered Starshield Speed Limits on Ukraine

President Donald Trump denied any role in limiting Ukraine's access to Starshield, the military-grade sister network of SpaceX's Starlink, after speed caps were imposed that affected Ukrainian drones. "It wasn't me and I don't think it was [Starlink owner] Elon [Musk]," Trump told reporters leaving the White House on Friday.

The speed restriction, set at 100 mph (160 km/h), was reported to have disrupted connectivity for weapons traveling faster than that limit, complicating Kyiv's defence against Russian attacks that night. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said the speed limits had not yet been restored.

Elon Musk suggested the United States government might have been behind the restrictions, and Reuters cited two U.S. officials and a Western official indicating the order originated from within the White House. Musk also noted that Starshield is managed by the U.S. government and could be controlled by the Pentagon.

The United States continues to permit Ukraine to use both Starlink and Starshield for its defence. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has called for an investigation into the network disruptions. In Brussels, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe must maintain support for Ukraine amid perceived uncertainties in U.S. backing.