Trump Called Musk to Ask Him to Lift Starlink Speed Restrictions

U.S. President Donald Trump called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to request the removal of speed restrictions on the military Starlink (Starshield) service that had been limited in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 22nd (local time). During the call with Musk, Trump expressed dissatisfaction that Starshield speeds in Ukraine had been capped at around 100 miles (roughly 160 km) per hour. He also told aides and advisers earlier this week that he wanted the speed limits reversed.

The day after the call, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said Starshield was operating more normally than before. However, some Ukrainian officials noted that the system had not fully recovered its functionality, confirming only that it was running faster than before.

SpaceX and the White House have offered differing accounts of whether the speed restrictions were Musk's own decision or made at the direction of the Trump administration. When asked for comment, the White House referred to Trump's remarks denying it.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said he would investigate how Ukraine's Starshield service was degraded without prior notice, as well as the Pentagon's reliance on SpaceX.