In brief
President Trump has denied involvement in a restriction that slowed the Ukrainian Starshield internet service to 100 mph, a move that left Kyiv vulnerable to Russian drone and missile attacks. The slowdown, said to stem from a White‑House order, cut the speed of the service used to coordinate defence operations. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed the measures for the recent deadly strikes that hit Ukrainian infrastructure. Senators in Washington are calling for an investigation, while European leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s remaining supplies and infrastructure.
Donald Trump stepped out of the White House on Friday and replied that he was not responsible for a 100 mph limitation on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite internet service, which is built on Elon Musk’s Starlink network. In a brief statement, the U.S. president said, ‘It wasn’t me and I don’t think it was [Starlink owner] Elon Musk.’
The limit was reportedly imposed by the U.S. government after reports that raiding Ukraine’s military command structure would be made harder. According to Reuters, the order originated from levels inside the White House. The restriction cut the speed of the satellite link, forcing weapons that travelled faster than 100 mph to lose connectivity.
Ukraine’s military accused the slowdown of directly contributing to three deadly strikes on Tuesday that damaged critical infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian forces had lost a key communication advantage while interdicting Russian drone and missile attacks.
The tensions come amid a standoff over a controversial diesel deal between the U.S. and Russia, and a recent ceasefire pledge by Trump that was never reciprocated by Moscow. Zelensky has called for an end to attacks on oil refineries, and EU leaders in Brussels pledged to launch weapons and funding aid to keep Ukraine fortified.
American senators from both parties have issued a letter urging a probe into the network restrictions, arguing that Ukraine’s defensive capability was compromised. Elon Musk explained that Starshield is operated under U.S. government direction, and that the Pentagon could have authorized the slowdown.
European officials meanwhile affirmed that EU states will continue to supply Ukraine’s satellite and early warning systems, with France’s Emmanuel Macron stating that Europe must stand as a safeguard for Ukraine, especially if U.S. support appears uncertain.
The incident underlines how critical cyber‑infrastructure is to modern warfare, and it raises questions about how far a host nation can push service providers to protect its interests in a conflict zone.
