Trump Asked Musk to Lift Starlink Speed Limits in Ukraine, WSJ Reports

U.S. President Donald Trump called SpaceX founder Elon Musk on October 21 to request lifting restrictions on the military version of Starlink, Starshield, in Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal. The next day, the system operated at higher speeds, though full functionality was not restored. Trump personally asked Musk to remove the limits, citing his displeasure with the restricted speed of about 160 km/h, sources among American and Ukrainian officials said. Trump told aides he wanted the restrictions lifted but declined to confirm the call publicly, saying he has a good relationship with Musk. The restrictions had been imposed on Ukraine's access to Starshield, with Vice President JD Vance attributing responsibility to Musk, who denied it and said the Pentagon controls the military version. Seven Republicans had previously urged Trump and Musk to lift the limits.