Trump Denies Restricting Ukraine's Starlink Access Amid White House Reports
The former president pushed back against claims that his administration had ordered a slowdown of the US-provided internet service, which has been crucial for Ukraine's military operations.
President Donald Trump on Friday denied reports that the White House had ordered a slowdown of the US-provided Starshield internet service to Ukraine's military. The denial comes amid escalating tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"I didn’t do that. No, we didn’t do that at all. In fact, I don’t even think it was slowed down from what I understood. Because I just checked this morning," Trump told reporters as he departed the White House. He stated he heard about the issue through media reports and asserted that the service had not been throttled.
Reuters reported on Thursday evening that the White House had ordered the slowdown of the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. A congressional source reportedly confirmed the Reuters report to The Post, though an administration official suggested the White House had not issued such instructions, attributing the move to "Pentagon freelancing."
The dispute over Starlink follows a period of public disagreement between Trump and Zelensky. Last week, Trump waived sanctions on Russian diesel to address fuel prices ahead of an election. Zelensky’s subsequent criticism of this action led Trump to suggest that Ukraine needed a new president. On Sunday, Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" concerning oil infrastructure, which Zelensky initially observed but later resumed targeting Russian refineries after citing continued Russian strikes on Ukraine.