SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk amplified a post on X on Nov. 5 arguing that it had been a “mistake” for his company to supply Ukraine with free Starlink terminals and service at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, The Kyiv Independent reported on Nov. 6. The repost followed remarks the same day by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who told the German television programme ZDF Magazin Royale that too much power sits with one very wealthy person.
Key facts
- Zelensky said on Nov. 5: “There is too much power in the hands of one very wealthy person. Such a concentration of power is dangerous,” per The Kyiv Independent.
- Musk, who owns X, reposted a critique of that comment rather than answering it directly, the same outlet reported.
- The post said SpaceX’s free dishes and free monthly service were a mistake in hindsight, and that civilian internet access “became the backbone for autonomous killing drones.”
- Ukraine uses both commercial Starlink terminals and Starshield, the militarised version of the system.
- A speed cap was imposed on Ukraine’s Starshield service in mid-October without warning, disrupting interception of Russian jet-powered drones, according to The Kyiv Independent.
- Starshield has since been restored to full speed, but Zelensky said the prolonged throttling cost civilian lives.
Why it matters
Starlink is a commercial satellite internet service, and the October episode is the clearest public case so far of that service being slowed in a way a government said affected lives. Reuters reporting carried by The Straits Times says US administrations have relied on a private company to help implement foreign policy to an unprecedented degree. For customers anywhere, that is the question the row raises: who decides whether the service works.
What the repost said
The post Musk amplified reads, in the version quoted by The Kyiv Independent: “In hindsight, it was a mistake for SpaceX to send (Ukraine) thousands of free Starlink dishes and millions of dollars a month in free service at the beginning of the war.” It went on to complain that SpaceX gets “skewered” in the press if it does not support military use.
Musk refused to take responsibility for the October speed cap, the same outlet reported, while publicly accusing Ukraine of breaching Starlink’s terms of service by using commercial terminals for offensive drone strikes. Kyiv rejected that, saying Starshield is used only to support combat operations against Russian forces inside Ukrainian territory, and that commercial Starlink does not operate inside Russia.
Accounts of who ordered the slowdown conflict
The published accounts do not agree. The Wall Street Journal, cited by Hindustan Times, reported that the slowdown was triggered by an order from Musk, citing unnamed US officials and other sources. Reuters, as reported by The Straits Times, said the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House.
Musk’s own position, stated on Oct. 14, was that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Hindustan Times reported. The Trump administration has acknowledged the slowdown but has not said whether it gave the order, according to The Straits Times. SpaceX did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Asked on Oct. 22 whether he had called Musk, President Donald Trump declined to say, telling reporters outside the White House that the bottom line was “he put it back,” per Hindustan Times. Zelensky said the same day that the speed had not been restored to 400 and that work was continuing. A senior Ukrainian official told AFP it was obvious the United States was helping Russia for some reason.
Years of on-and-off requests
Six former senior US officials told Reuters, in reporting published by The Straits Times, that both the Biden and Trump administrations had repeatedly asked SpaceX to switch Starlink on or off in various countries well before October. Four said the Biden-era requests included turning the service off to stop Iranian proxy militias in Yemen and Lebanon using it, and turning it on inside Iran and for Ukraine’s military.
A former senior Trump official and another person familiar with the matter said the current administration asked for Starlink to be made available in Iran after US-Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026, hoping to help anti-government protesters. In a 2024 filing with the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, SpaceX said it works closely with US agencies on export authorisations and to safeguard technology in support of national security and foreign policy goals.
Reaction in Europe and Washington
The limits on an allied country have rattled officials in Europe, some of whom argue the continent must build its own military satellite communications because no viable short-term alternative exists, The Straits Times reported — part of the wider pressure on Europe to build its own alternative, and a concern that security officials have urged sovereign control over such systems to address. Kyiv wants direct talks with SpaceX before the Starshield contract ends.
Armand Musey, president of the satellite industry consultancy Summit Ridge Group, told Reuters that Musk is “supposed to be a business executive, with government contracts, and he’s essentially making huge foreign policy decisions.” Musey added that it is unclear whether Musk’s decisions reflect personal quirks or outside influence.
Political backdrop
Musk has played an active role in Trump’s second administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, taking the lead on cutting government agencies and foreign aid programmes, The Kyiv Independent reported. He spent nearly half a billion dollars backing Republican candidates in the recent midterm elections, a record sum, yet Democrats won control of both houses of Congress. Many Democratic lawmakers have pledged to investigate his businesses and government ties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did any US watchdog agree to investigate the Starlink slowdown?
No. According to The Kyiv Independent, the Pentagon’s watchdog rejected a bipartisan appeal from US senators to investigate the Starlink/Starshield disruption. Democratic Representative Jason Crow had separately called on Oct. 23 for clarity about the changes to Ukraine’s satellite service.
Has Musk restricted Ukraine’s Starlink access before 2026?
Yes. Reuters, as carried by The Straits Times, reported that in 2022 Musk ordered SpaceX personnel to cut Starlink coverage in areas Ukraine was trying to retake, a move that surprised White House officials. Musk has also said publicly that he refused a 2022 Ukrainian request to activate the network over Sevastopol, saying he feared complicity in a major act of war.
Has the US government asked SpaceX to switch Starlink off in other countries?
Six former senior US officials told Reuters, in reporting published by The Straits Times, that the Biden administration asked SpaceX to identify and shut off terminals that intelligence suggested had been diverted to Hezbollah in Lebanon in October 2023 and to the Houthis in Yemen in 2024. Two of those officials said at least some terminals were deactivated.
Why do Ukrainian units say they cannot replace Starlink?
Frontline units told Reuters, as reported by The Straits Times, that there is currently no rival to the capabilities of SpaceX’s products. Starshield receivers, described in that reporting as largely impervious to radio jamming, are used as onboard drone guidance systems and to link drones to a remote pilot, including deep behind Russian lines inside Ukraine.
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