Rubio denies US ordered Starlink slowdown in Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Washington ordered a slowdown of Starlink internet services in Ukraine, calling the claim "categorically false" and stating no one at the White House directed such an action. Rubio clarified that Starlink is a commercial service, while Starshield is a separate military product Ukraine does not currently have access to, though Kyiv has requested it for deep strikes inside Russia. He also defended 60-day sanctions waivers on Russian energy, citing global economic impacts and allies like India. Rubio made the remarks before departing for Uzbekistan and India, where he plans to meet foreign ministers from five Central Asian countries to strengthen long-term partnerships beyond immediate conflict zones.