US denies Trump ordered Starshield restrictions for Ukraine

The United States confirmed Friday that President Donald Trump did not request any reduction in Starshield satellite services for Ukraine, following reports of restrictions on the SpaceX-operated system. A US official stated anonymously that no such order came from the White House. The restrictions were reported by Kyiv on Wednesday, shortly after Trump criticized Ukraine and urged it to stop targeting Russian oil refineries. Tech billionaire Elon Musk claimed any limits were decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that services were improving but not fully restored, noting the disruption endangered civilian lives as Ukraine relies on the system to intercept Russian drones. Relations between Washington and Kyiv have grown tense, with Trump calling for Zelenskyy's replacement after the Ukrainian leader criticized a US deal allowing more Russian diesel into global markets. Zelenskyy also said European allies have sufficient Patriot missile interceptors for the winter and that Europeans are taking steps regarding peace negotiations with Russia.