The row over Starlink restrictions has intensified as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he feels personally betrayed by US President Donald Trump. His statement came after reported restrictions on Elon Musk’s Starlink services disrupted Ukraine’s military operations, including drone missions and air defence systems.
Zelenskyy Says He Feels Betrayed By Trump
During a visit to London, Zelenskyy accused Trump of siding with Russia after more than four years of war. He expressed concern that Ukraine was losing a key partner at a time when it continued to face Russian attacks. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Zelenskyy was asked whether he felt betrayed by Trump over the reported Starlink restrictions.
To this, he responded by saying: “Really, yes … but it’s a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings.” Zelenskyy added, “It’s a pity that we are losing, we are losing a strong partner.” He also said he believed the restrictions had been imposed deliberately. Referring to the reported overnight disruption, he said: “I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States."
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He warned that the restrictions could have serious consequences for human lives and added, “This decision will bring a lot of human losses … of course, people will die.” However, Zelenskyy also suggested that the disruption might have resulted from a technical problem at SpaceX.
Elon Musk Clarifies
Amid all these developments, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded to criticism over the reported disruption. He emphasised that the US government, rather than SpaceX alone, controls restrictions on Starshield. The Starshield is a satellite communications system used by the US government for military and national security purposes.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk wrote on X, while responding to a comment. “Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” the post added.
How Did Starlink Restrictions Affect Ukraine?
Ukrainian officials on Wednesday reported that Starlink services had suddenly been restricted for terminals travelling at speeds above 100mph. The restrictions reportedly affected military systems that rely on satellite internet to operate drones. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy on military technology, said the Ukrainian military had not received advance warning about the restrictions.
“Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions, and this led to the failure of a number of missions,” Beskrestnov said. The disruption also came as Russia launched another major attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, intensifying the tensions.
Earlier, Ukrainian officials also said the US had failed to provide advance warning of Russian missile attacks for a second consecutive night. However, Trump had denied that his administration had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
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