Rubio Denies White House Ordered Ukraine Starlink Slowdown

Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied Saturday that the White House ordered a slowdown of Starlink satellite internet service used by Ukraine, contradicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that restrictions were deliberate. Rubio said no one at the White House ordered the slowdown and that service has been restored. Rubio disputed Zelensky's assertion that Ukraine cannot currently use Starlink or Starshield technology due to restrictions, saying the disruption "sort of happened" but has been resolved. He clarified that Ukraine has never had access to Starshield, a military product under contract with the U.S. military, and noted Ukraine has requested access for deep strikes inside Russia. The dispute follows Ukrainian officials reporting a "speed limit" imposed on terminals late Tuesday that disrupted battlefield communications and drone operations. Elon Musk earlier said the U.S. government, not SpaceX, controls Starshield decisions, with any limits ultimately determined by President Trump.