Elon Musk ordered a slowdown last week of the military-grade Starlink service Ukraine relies on, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday, as relayed by Reuters and other outlets. The Journal cited U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter. Reuters, summarizing the Journal's report, said the restriction hampered Ukrainian attack and air-defense drone missions against Russia and blindsided Kyiv.
The claim rests on anonymous sourcing, and Reuters said it could not immediately verify it. Musk, SpaceX and the White House had not responded to Reuters at the time of its report. This story relies on those secondary reports; the Journal's article itself was not available for review here, so its byline, details and exact wording are not confirmed.
The accounts of who is responsible do not match, and that is the heart of the story.
The Conflicting Accounts
Zelensky complained publicly last week that some of Ukraine's offensive and interceptor drones had become nearly useless. Confusion followed over who ordered the slowdown, according to Stuff and Just the News.
According to an excerpt from the New Zealand outlet Stuff, Musk reportedly capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected. Stuff reported that some U.S. officials said Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump did not specifically order retribution against Ukraine. A person familiar with the matter told the Journal, per Stuff, that Musk spoke with Trump and several senior administration officials before capping speeds. Whether Trump directed or approved the move is unclear.
Trump told reporters he did not know who was responsible, "but I would like to find out." Reuters said Trump had said last week he thought neither he nor Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing Starlink access. Reuters and the Times of Israel reported that Musk and Trump spoke by phone soon after the slowdown became public, while Trump was campaigning last week, and had also discussed the matter before the throttling. Those details come from excerpts of the two reports.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Washington had not pulled back Ukraine's access, according to Reuters, and signaled the problem was terms of service Kyiv must comply with. That sits at odds with the Journal's account that Musk ordered the slowdown.
What Musk Has Said
Replying on X to a White House video of Trump's remarks, Musk wrote: "Zelenskyy has gone too far," according to Stuff. The notes do not show that post was a response to the Journal report. In another post, Musk wrote, "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military…" The excerpt cuts off there, and Reuters paraphrased the rest as "or the president." The post itself could not be opened.
Just the News reported that Starlink is often confused with Starshield, the military-grade product, and that Musk indicated Starshield is under Pentagon control and that he could not have interfered with it. It also said Musk indicated Starlink is civilian and not permitted for offensive military action. That is the outlet's paraphrase of Musk's post. The Times of Israel reported that Musk said use of Starshield was ultimately up to Trump as president. The technical details, including speed caps, which terminals were affected and for how long, have not been established.
The Diesel Dispute in the Background
Just the News reported that Trump has demanded Ukraine stop hitting Russian energy facilities, after a deal with Moscow to inject diesel into global markets. It also reported that Trump has called for Zelensky to hold elections to choose a replacement. Stuff reported that both Musk and Trump are angry over Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel refineries, which Trump blames for high energy prices.
Zelensky is in Oslo trying to repair relations with the United States. Reuters reported that on Tuesday he said he discussed "the situation with Starlink/Starshield, which needs to be restored" with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
What Comes Next
Still to come are responses from Musk, SpaceX, the White House or the Pentagon, any restoration of service, and any follow-up from Trump. Confirmation of the Journal's reporting would clarify who, if anyone, ordered the cap.
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