US lawmakers urge Trump to press Musk on Starlink access for Ukraine

A bipartisan group of nearly two dozen US lawmakers urged President Donald Trump to ask Elon Musk to grant Ukraine access to Starlink satellite systems to detect Russian missile launchers, according to a letter sent Wednesday. The letter, signed by seven House Republicans and 16 Democrats, argues that a single phone call from Trump could save lives and pressure Vladimir Putin to negotiate. Lawmakers said that if Ukraine cannot intercept Russian missiles, it should be able to target the launchers, with Starlink aiding this effort. The appeal follows reported disruptions to Starlink and its military version Starshield in Ukraine, with The Wall Street Journal saying Musk ordered a slowdown. Republican Senator Tom Tillis has initiated a Pentagon investigation into the connectivity issues.