Trump restores Ukraine's access to Starshield satellite system
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Ukraine's access to the Starshield military satellite system has been restored, following reports that SpaceX head Elon Musk had limited the service's speed, rendering some Ukrainian drones ineffective. The Wall Street Journal reported Trump asked Musk to restore the system, though Trump declined to confirm who made the call, saying only that "the bottom line, he put it back." Musk had claimed any limits were directed by the US military, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump both denied ordering changes. Ukraine relies on Starshield for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes, and interceptor drones, alongside the civilian Starlink system. The disruption comes amid rising US-Ukraine tensions, with Trump recently calling for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's replacement after Kyiv criticized a US deal allowing more Russian diesel into global markets.