Trump Says Elon ‘Put It Back’ on Starlink in Ukraine, but Kyiv Disagrees

Credit: Support Forces of Ukraine Command

President Donald Trump says Elon Musk has restored Ukraine’s satellite connectivity, but officials in Kyiv say the speed limits on their terminals are still in place. Asked on Thursday whether he had called Musk about Starlink in Ukraine, Trump wouldn’t say. “I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or somebody else called. It doesn’t make any difference,” he said. “The bottom line, he put it back.”

Trump on Ukraine Starlink: “My relationship with Elon is a very good one…I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or somebody else called. It doesn’t make any difference. The bottom line, he put it back.”

— Bulwark Clips (@BulwarkClips) October 22, 2026

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited US officials, Trump called Musk on Wednesday and asked him to lift the restrictions. Those officials said the system was working more normally on Thursday, shortly after the call, though some Ukrainian officials told the paper service had not been fully restored.

Kyiv is pushing back harder than that. A Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent that reports of a restoration were “all false,” adding, “Overall, nothing has changed anywhere.” The official said the cap of about 161 km/h is still in effect.

Who put the limit there in the first place is still disputed. Trump said on Wednesday, “I don’t know who did it, but I was not involved,” according to CNBC, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 18 that “no one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet or slow down speed.” Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, told CNBC he doesn’t believe Musk would throttle the service without “at least the acquiescence of the White House.” The White House and Musk did not comment to CNBC, and the Journal had previously reported that Musk ordered the slowdown.

Musk’s own public position is that the military version isn’t SpaceX’s call. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” he wrote on October 14, in a post we covered at the time. “Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.”

The dispute started earlier this month, when Ukraine said military Starshield terminals had been capped overnight at roughly 160 km/h, a limit that matters for drones and fast-moving units. That same day, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said, “Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later told NBC that the cap came from Washington, which US officials denied.

Zelenskyy is now waiting on Rubio, who promised an answer within 48 hours on raising the limit to 400 km/h, according to the Kyiv Independent.

With Washington and Kyiv describing two different situations on the ground, whose account do you find more convincing so far?