Trump Reveals Starshield System Restored in Ukraine, Says Musk 'Put It Back On'

Former President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the Starshield military communications system, crucial for Ukraine's battlefield operations, is now back online. He stated that it "doesn't make any difference" who was responsible for the initial throttling of the service or its subsequent restoration.

The comments come after a report by The Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump had contacted tech billionaire Elon Musk to request the service be reinstated. Musk, whose SpaceX company operates Starshield, had previously limited the system's speed, rendering some Ukrainian drones ineffective, according to the report.

When asked about his alleged involvement, Trump told journalists, "I don't want to comment on it, you know, whether I called or whether somebody else called - doesn't make any difference." He added, "I guess the bottom line, he put it back," referring to Musk.

Musk had previously stated that any limitations on Starshield systems were "decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the Pentagon had not directed any changes to Starshield, and Trump himself had previously stated he had not done so either.

Ukraine utilizes both Starshield, a military-grade satellite service, and SpaceX's civilian Starlink system for its defense operations, including mid-range strikes and drone missions. The restriction on the satellite service had reportedly hampered these efforts.

According to The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials, the Starlink system was functioning more normally on Thursday following the reported conversation between Trump and Musk. Some Ukrainian officials indicated the system had not returned to full functionality but was operating at higher speeds than before the cap. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had noted earlier on Thursday that speeds had not been restored for Ukraine.