Trump asks Musk to lift Starlink speed limits in Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump called billionaire Elon Musk and asked him to lift speed restrictions on the military version of Starlink in Ukraine, which the SpaceX head had imposed, according to American officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. Shortly after the call on Thursday, October 21, Starlink began operating more stably, though Ukrainian officials said the system was not fully restored. Trump expressed concern that speeds were limited to about 161 km/h, hindering Ukrainian strike drones and interceptor drones against Russian attacks. Expert Michael Kofman noted the change would strengthen Ukraine's deep-strike capability. The restrictions, first reported October 14, disrupted military missions and were linked to the Starshield package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the slowdown a "big mistake," while Musk and U.S. officials denied responsibility.