Musk proposed throttling Starlink in Ukraine to Trump

Elon Musk proposed to Donald Trump that Starlink services be throttled in Ukraine, a move that hindered Ukrainian drone defenses, according to four sources familiar with the talks. Trump reportedly agreed to the proposal, leading the Pentagon to implement speed restrictions on the military Starshield system. Musk had publicly blamed Trump for the restrictions, claiming the US military and president made the decisions. However, sources say Musk was concerned about negative European consumer reactions after a "night of bloodshed" in Kyiv, and both were behind the throttling. The speed limit restricted drones to around 160 km/h, making it nearly impossible to intercept Russian jet-powered drones flying twice as fast. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the throttling a "very dangerous and unpleasant surprise," though signals were reportedly being restored by Friday. This is not the first time Musk has been accused of restricting Starlink use to Ukraine's disadvantage, having refused requests in 2023 for drone attacks on Crimea.