Burnham urges Trump to restore full Starlink access for Ukraine
Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke directly with US President Donald Trump by phone Friday, emphasizing the critical need for Ukraine to maintain full, unrestricted access to the Starlink satellite system to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said speed caps on Starlink remain active, contradicting Trump's statements that full service had been restored. The diplomatic intervention follows mounting strain between Washington and Kyiv, exacerbated by US easing sanctions on Russian diesel and controversial White House comments about Vladimir Putin. Zelensky said technical-level peace negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the US are planned for early November in Abu Dhabi, aiming to pave the way for a future summit. Kyiv maintains any peace agreement must include comprehensive security guarantees, sustained ten-year military funding, and direct European participation in talks.