Zelensky Says Starlink ‘Speed Limits’ Still In Place Amid Russian Attacks

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Starlink and Starshield are still running slowly, despite President Donald Trump saying he would speak to Elon Musk about the problem.

During a gaggle at the White House Friday, Trump was asked about reports that Musk purposely slowed down the service that’s critical to Ukraine’s battlefield communications amd drone strikes in its war against Russia.

“If there is a problem, I’ll get it straightened out,” Trump said. “Elon will never ​do ⁠anything wrong. I know him very well. He’s a fair person, ​and you know it’s an unusual ​situation ⁠where they’re talking to a private company. But he’s not going to do anything that’s ⁠wrong,” ​Trump said.

Ukraine’s vital internet services slowed down on October 13 “as ​relations between Kyiv and Washington deteriorated,” Reuters reported.

“The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there,” Zelensky told the Hudson Institute on Friday. “The speed has not been restored. And the delivery of interceptors to protect us against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed. We’re waiting for interceptors that were already agreed on. But they are still not coming. This is a real problem, because the Russians attack us almost every single day.”

“All of this is happening while we continue our quite successful operations on the front,” Zelensky continued. “We keep defending positions. Things have become harder – partly because of the Starlink and Starshield policies and speed limits. But our frontline is still holding and I am proud of how strong our people are.”

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk ordered the slowdown in “a decision that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration.”

The “slowdown” came as both Trump and Musk criticized Ukraine for hitting Russian diesel refineries, the report said.

Musk reportedly “capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network,” in response.

The Journal reported that Trump already called Musk once on Wednesday to ask him to lift restrictions on Starlink.

“The system was working more normally Thursday, shortly after their conversation, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said. Some Ukrainian officials said the system wasn’t restored to full functionality but was working at higher speeds than under the cap,” the report said.

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