FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
President Donald Trump phoned Elon Musk and urged him to ease limits on a military version of Starlink that Ukraine relies on, according to U.S. officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.
Officials from both countries said the service performed more normally Thursday after the call, though some Ukrainian officials said it hadn’t returned to full capability and was only faster than the capped speeds.
Trump complained to Musk that speeds were still restricted, officials said. The cap had hobbled some of Ukraine’s attack drones and interceptors against Russian strikes. Trump had said earlier this week he wanted the slowdown reversed.
The Journal previously reported that Musk ordered it, and SpaceX and the White House differ on whether he acted alone or at the administration’s behest. This came after Musk previously claimed in a post on X that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US (sic) military and ultimately POTUS."
Carnegie Endowment analyst Michael Kofman said lifting the cap would “do much to enable Ukraine’s strike capabilities at operational depths.” He said Ukrainian units told him early tests point to more consistent performance.
Musk, SpaceX and Ukraine’s embassy didn’t immediately comment. The White House referred the Journal to Trump’s recent denials that he asked for the throttling or knew who ordered it.
Trump has repeatedly wavered on his level of commitment to supporting the war effort in Ukraine against the Russian invasion. He has constantly claimed he wants to end the war, but has intermittently tried to pressure either Russia to stand down or Ukraine to accede to Russia's demands.
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