Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Friday that the Ukrainian military does not yet have full access to the Starlink satellite internet service. Media reports indicate that the directive to restrict the network originated inside the White House.
,Speaking in Brussels on Friday, Zelenskyy met European leaders and requested another 70 billion euros next year to fund Ukraine against Russia. The gathering provided a chance for strategic alignment as Zelenskyy experienced a fresh dispute with US President Donald Trump.
,Donald Trump told the Newsmax television channel that all the Ukrainian leader was doing was making the world oil price higher, calling it a disgrace. Energy analysts told the BBC that the US-Israeli war on Iran had the biggest impact on diesel export volumes, alongside the Ukraine war.
,The administration of Donald Trump is suspected of withholding intelligence from Ukraine regarding incoming Russian ballistic missile strikes. It is also suspected of throttling Starshield, the military version of Starlink, to stop it from being used on drones flying above 100 miles per hour, though neither action has been officially confirmed.
,Zelenskyy said his defence ministry remained in touch with partners who indicated signals came from the White House regarding the return of these capabilities. When asked if speeds returned to previous limits, he said no, but added that the speeds are currently coming back.
,Reuters reported on Friday that the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House, according to two US officials and a western official briefed on the matter. The sources did not identify the specific White House official behind the decision, but confirmed the Pentagon received notice that the SpaceX Starshield service for Ukraine required slowing down.
,Zelenskyy described the speed reduction as a very dangerous and unpleasant surprise. Ukraine uses Starlink to support its most effective air defence systems against Russian jet-powered drones.
,Starlink is produced by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, but remains controlled by the US government. Upon arriving for talks with EU leaders, Zelenskyy received applause from heads of state and government representing the 27 member countries.
,Zelenskyy later reported hearing only support when asked about claims that European leaders urged him to dial down his criticism of Trump. The EU currently provides Ukraine with regular payments through a 90 billion euro funding plan agreed last December.
,The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that the EU supported Trump’s energy ceasefire. She added that Russia failed to respect it for a single minute and escalated attacks instead, promising a 22nd round of sanctions.
