Bessent warns Zelenskyy to ‘be very careful’ about claims U.S. is throttling Starlink
- On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "be very careful" about public claims that the U.S. throttled Starlink and intelligence sharing, calling such charges "reckless" and untrue.
- Zelenskyy recently stated he believed the U.S. government was responsible for technical slowdowns and that Ukraine was "blocked" from U.S. intelligence during Russian missile attacks, hindering the country's defensive response.
- During an NBC interview on "Meet the Press," Bessent defended the administration's Russia policy, rejecting softening claims while explaining that only the diesel embargo was lifted during a 60-day review period.
- Elon Musk claimed last week that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump are "ultimately" responsible for Starshield usage limits, a claim the administration has categorically denied.
- The intelligence dispute arrives amid broader deterioration in relations between Trump and Zelenskyy as both leaders clash over Russia, energy policy, and efforts to end the nearly five-year war.
251 Articles
251 Articles
In defense against Russia, Ukraine is dependent on SpaceX's military version of the Starlink satellite network. Last week, it was throttled without warning. SpaceX leader Elon Musk was apparently behind it, as a report now reveals.
Elon Musk is the person who ordered restrictions to be imposed on StarShield in Ukraine, the military version of Starlink, the satellite network of his space company SpaceX. This is revealed by the American newspaper ‘The Wall Street Journal’ based on anonymous sources. Musk had previously denied having anything to do with the malfunctions.
Report: Musk Ordered Reduction in Starshield Services for Ukraine
Elon Musk ordered a reduction in Starshield services for Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, after the tech billionaire said any limits on the SpaceX-operated communications system would ultimately have come from the president. Musk capped the speed at which Ukrainian equipment could connect to the system, making some of Kyiv's drones useless, the Journal reported, citing anonymous US officials and people familiar with the matter.
The slowdown in Starshield, the military version of Starlink satellite communications service, for Ukraine was ordered by Elon Musk, the Wall Street Journal reported. The first man of SpaceX to operate the service has previously indicated that these types of decisions are made by the President of the United States. This was again denied by the US government.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is reportedly responsible for restricting satellite internet in Ukraine last week, US officials and other insiders told The Wall Street Journal. According to the sources, the incident led to confusion within the Trump administration. Follow all developments in the war in Ukraine in our live blog.
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