Rubio says Musk controls Starlink decisions for Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that decisions regarding Ukraine's access to Starlink and its operational parameters are not made by the White House, but by SpaceX and Elon Musk personally, as usage is governed by a private commercial contract. Rubio's comments follow reports of slowdowns in Starshield, the military version of the satellite system used by Ukrainian forces. Anonymous sources gave conflicting accounts, with some claiming Musk ordered the reduction and others suggesting the White House made the final decision, though President Trump denied involvement. Rubio said no US orders were given and speeds have been restored. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also framed the situation as commercial, noting SpaceX has the right to make technical decisions under service terms. Starshield is a military modification developed for the US Defense Department, and no officials confirmed pressure on SpaceX to lift restrictions.