Trump says Starshield restored in Ukraine, won't confirm Musk contact

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the Starshield military communications system is "back" in Ukraine, following reports he asked Elon Musk to restore the service vital to Kyiv's forces. Trump declined to confirm whether he personally contacted Musk, saying "whether I called or whether somebody else called — doesn't make any difference." The Wall Street Journal reported Musk had capped connection speeds, rendering some Ukrainian drones useless, though Musk claimed any limits were decided by the U.S. military and ultimately Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon did not direct changes to Starshield, and Trump previously denied doing so. Ukraine relies on the SpaceX-operated system for battlefield communications and strikes, amid rising U.S.-Ukraine tensions over Trump's calls for President Zelenskyy's replacement.