Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink that Ukraine relies on, a decision that set off panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter. The restriction, imposed last week, rendered some Ukrainian offensive and interceptor drones virtually useless, the people said.
Reuters reported that Musk, SpaceX and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment and that it could not immediately verify the report. SpaceX also did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.
Calls Between Musk and Trump
Musk and President Donald Trump discussed the Starlink decision in a call soon after the slowdown became public, while the president was campaigning last week, two of the people said. One of them also claimed the two men discussed the matter before the decision to throttle Starlink was made.
Some U.S. officials say Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump did not specifically order any retribution against Ukraine. A person familiar with the situation, however, said Musk spoke with multiple senior administration officials, including Trump, before imposing the new speed cap.
“Decided By The US Military And Ultimately POTUS”
Hours after the slowdown became public, Musk posted on X: “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” using the acronym for president of the United States.
Trump told reporters Monday that he did not know who was responsible for the slowdown, “but I would like to find out.” Reuters reported that Trump said on Friday he did not think either he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing Starlink access in a way that affected its military operations against Russia.
Confusion Inside the White House
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public complaints that Ukrainians could die if the unrestricted service was not restored led to widespread confusion over who ordered the slowdown. They also prompted an informal investigation inside the White House, the Journal reported.
During the uproar, SpaceX representatives called White House counterparts seeking a unified understanding, and a subsequent message, that the company and the administration had coordinated before Musk’s directive, the people said.
What Happened on the Front Lines
The slowdown began on Oct. 14. Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite network, the people said, and Ukrainian officials said the change allowed Russian missiles to evade their defenses.
Michael Kofman, an expert on the war at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said “Ukrainian forces continue to be throttled in their ability to employ strike drones and interceptor drones to 160 kilometers [99 miles] per hour, but the current connection is below 130 kilometers per hour, and the limits continue to hamper Ukrainian strike operations and air defenses.”
Ukraine’s top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, said Tuesday that Ukraine was still “waiting for the official response from contacts with the Pentagon and SpaceX at the leaders level to understand what has happened, but also to understand whether the connection has been restored or will be restored.”
Pentagon and State Department Respond
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that “we haven’t pulled anything back,” but “Starlink has the option to make decisions concerning its terms of service.” He added: “We haven’t made any directives or anything like that.”
Zelensky has also accused the Trump administration of temporarily cutting intelligence support that helped Ukrainian forces track Russian missile launches and strike deep into Russian territory. Trump and others denied that, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Tuesday that such claims are “not true.” Rubio, who spoke with Zelensky by phone earlier that day, later acknowledged “there’s no doubt” about rising tensions between Washington and Kyiv.
Diesel Prices and Midterm Pressure
Both Musk and Trump have expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks. The president blames those strikes for high energy prices as the November midterm elections approach, though most analysts say the Iran war has had a greater effect, the Journal reported.
Reuters reported that Trump turned on Zelensky after lifting sanctions on Russian diesel to ease pressure on fuel prices that have soared since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February. It said he told Kyiv to stop attacking Russian refineries and urged Ukrainians to replace Zelensky.
On Oct. 10, days before Starlink speeds slowed, Trump said he told Zelensky: “‘You can do whatever you want to Russia, but don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem.’ And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel. He better damn well stop.” Musk responded to a White House video of those remarks on X with: “Zelensky has gone too far.”
Tensions at Their Highest Since the Oval Office
Four days after Musk’s post, Ukrainian drone operators reported that they were losing unrestricted access to the Starlink network for unexplained reasons, prompting urgent requests from Kyiv for an explanation. Ukrainian officials saw the slowdown as following several administration announcements and statements hostile to Ukraine, including criticism of Zelensky from Trump and Musk, and immediately suspected the order came from either the president or the world’s richest man.
The episode has pushed U.S.-Ukraine tensions to their highest level since Trump berated Zelensky in the Oval Office last year, the Journal reported. It has also highlighted Musk’s singular influence over the war, as Starlink provides a lifeline for Ukrainian forces attacking Russian troops and defending against strikes.
Diplomacy Continues
Zelensky traveled to Norway on Tuesday for discussions with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and two other leaders about ending the war. Whether the Starlink connection has been or will be restored remains unclear, and Ukraine has said it is still awaiting an official response at the leaders’ level.