Trump Called Musk and Asked Him to Lift Starlink Restrictions for Ukraine
US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Elon Musk and urged him to lift speed restrictions on the military version of the Starlink satellite communication system in Ukraine. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Photo: AP Photo / Julia Demaree Nikhinson
According to the publication's sources, shortly after the conversation on October 22, satellite communications began to work more stably. Ukrainian officials noted that the system has not yet fully restored functionality, but the data transfer speed has already become higher than with the previously imposed restriction.
As WSJ writes, Trump was dissatisfied that the data transfer speed depended on the drone's movement speed and was artificially significantly reduced if it flew faster than 160 km/h. According to the publication, this hindered Ukrainian defense forces from using long-range attack drones and jet interceptor drones to counter Russian air attacks. This week, the White House chief told his assistants and allies that he wants to lift the service restrictions used by the military on the front line.
Carnegie Endowment military expert Michael Kofman stated that lifting the restrictions could significantly expand Ukraine's capabilities to conduct strikes at operational depth and help increase the use of jet interceptor drones. According to him, during the first tests, Ukrainian units have already noted the restoration of stable network operation.
SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington have not yet commented on this information. The White House referred to Trump's recent statements, in which he denied personally ordering the slowdown of Starlink or knowing who initiated the introduction of the restrictions.