Trump asks Musk to lift speed limit on Starshield service in Ukraine, WSJ reports
In short
The Wall Street Journal reported on the 22nd (US time), citing US officials, that President Donald Trump phoned SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and asked him to lift the speed limit on the military Starlink service Starshield in Ukraine. US and Ukrainian officials said the service has since worked more normally, though some Ukrainian officials said it is not fully restored. Who ordered the limit is still disputed.
Read the full story 2 min read
US President Donald Trump called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and asked him to lift the speed limit on the military Starlink service, known as Starshield, in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 22nd (US time), citing US officials. According to the WSJ, Trump voiced dissatisfaction in the call, held the day before, that the speed of Starshield used in Ukraine was limited to about 100 miles (about 160 km). He has also told aides and associates this week that he wants to reverse the limit, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Starshield is a satellite communications network that Ukrainian forces use for front-line communications and drone operations. After the limit was applied, some Ukrainian attack drones and interceptors moving at high speed had difficulty responding to Russian attacks. Maeil Business explained that the 100-mile limit applies to the movement speed of terminals, such as those on drones, and not to internet data speed: above a certain speed, the connection is restricted. The outlet also said Starlink became a core means of communication for Ukrainian forces after Russia's 2022 invasion, and that concern has been raised that a private company's operating policies can affect military operations. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
After the call, US and Ukrainian officials said Starshield was working more normally than before. Some Ukrainian officials said the system had not fully recovered but was running faster than it had under the limit. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The question of who imposed the limit remains disputed. The WSJ had earlier reported that Musk gave the instruction, but SpaceX and the White House give differing accounts of whether he decided on his own or followed the Trump administration's direction. Asked for comment, the White House pointed to Trump's recent denials that he asked Musk to limit Starlink speed or knows who ordered it. Hankook Ilbo reported that on the 14th the White House said it had no control over SpaceX and that the matter was unrelated to the government, while Musk said on X that military Starshield is a system controlled by the US government and the president and that commercial Starlink is limited to civilian and defensive use. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Vice President JD Vance said on the 22nd that it is understandable not to want to get involved in a war without real US government direction, adding that the issue is not about Musk but fundamentally about what US policy on Ukraine will be. The WSJ noted that this differs from remarks by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had said Musk has the authority to enforce his company's terms of service without input from the Trump administration. [ 1 ]
Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, Connecticut) said he would investigate how Starshield service in Ukraine was degraded without prior notice and how much the Pentagon depends on SpaceX. Hankook Ilbo reported that Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican, Pennsylvania) also said he would carry out a full congressional investigation. The outlet wrote that Trump appeared to have intervened directly after strong opposition within the Republican Party. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The limit disrupted some Ukrainian attack drones and interceptors, according to the reports. The dispute over who ordered it has drawn a planned Senate investigation into the Pentagon's reliance on SpaceX, and a House member also said he would pursue a congressional inquiry.
Key facts
- The WSJ reported, citing US officials, that Trump called Musk and asked him to lift the speed limit on Starshield in Ukraine. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- In the call on the day before the WSJ report, Trump voiced dissatisfaction that Starshield speed in Ukraine was limited to about 100 miles (about 160 km). [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Some Ukrainian attack drones and interceptors moving at high speed had trouble responding to Russian attacks after the limit. [ 1 , 2 ]
- US and Ukrainian officials said Starshield was working more normally after the call; some Ukrainian officials said it was not fully restored but faster than before. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, Connecticut) said he would investigate how Starshield was degraded without notice and the Pentagon's reliance on SpaceX. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said he would pursue a full congressional investigation. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The WSJ, citing US officials, reported that Trump called Musk and asked him to lift the Starshield speed limit in Ukraine; Yonhap, Hankook Ilbo, Asia Economy and Maeil Business carried the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- US and Ukrainian officials said Starshield was working more normally after the call, though some Ukrainian officials said it was not fully restored. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Asked for comment, the White House pointed to Trump's recent denials that he asked Musk to limit Starlink speed or knows who ordered it. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Blumenthal said he would investigate how Starshield service was degraded without notice and the Pentagon's dependence on SpaceX. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Who ordered the speed limit. The WSJ earlier reported that Musk ordered it, but SpaceX and the White House give differing accounts of whether he decided alone or on the administration's instruction.
- How far Starshield service has been restored. US and Ukrainian officials said it works more normally, while some Ukrainian officials said it is not fully restored.
- Whether Trump acted because of backlash within the Republican Party. Only Hankook Ilbo says Trump appears to have intervened after strong Republican pushback; the other documents do not say this.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes its report on Trump's call to Musk, citing the WSJ. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes its report, adding Fitzpatrick's pledge of a congressional investigation. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the WSJ story. [ 3 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its report, explaining the nature of the speed limit. [ 4 ]