President Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk to ease restrictions on military versions of the product. space xThe Wall Street Journal reported on Ukraine’s Starlink system on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
The StarShield system, which Ukraine relies on in its war against Russia, was “operating more normally on Thursday,” shortly after Trump’s phone call with Musk, U.S. and Ukrainian officials told the Journal.
The newspaper reported on Tuesday that Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX and a critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had ordered Starlink to slow down.
Two anonymous sources in the report said Trump and Musk discussed the Starlink speed limit decision “immediately” after the changes were first made public last week, while one official said Musk spoke with Trump before imposing the speed limits.
President Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in the decision, saying he does not know whether Musk was behind it.
“I don’t know who did it, but I was not involved,” President Trump said Wednesday.
The Starlink controversy has drawn bipartisan concern and criticism from lawmakers, and comes as President Trump ramps up his criticism of Zelensky, who continues to target Russia’s energy infrastructure. At the same time, President Trump is pursuing a deal to ease sanctions against Russia so it can supply diesel to global markets.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday that he doesn’t believe Mr. Musk will rein in Starlink without “at least the acquiescence of the White House.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s investigations subcommittee, on Thursday launched an investigation into how SpaceX’s satellite technology was “degraded for Ukraine without notice.”
“This decision to restrict a key ally’s critical technology not only puts Ukraine’s military and people at risk, but also raises serious questions about who will control critical capabilities that the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars procuring,” Blumenthal said in a letter to Musk and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The White House and emails associated with Musk did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Thursday’s report that President Trump asked Musk to lift restrictions.
