Elon Musk decides Ukraine's access to Starlink, says Marco Rubio
What's the story
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that decisions on Ukraine's access to Starlink are the prerogative of SpaceX and Elon Musk, not the White House. The statement comes amid reports that Musk may have limited Kyiv's access to the satellite internet service. The Wall Street Journal had reported that Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink which Ukraine uses for defense against Russian missile attacks.
Contractual obligations
'Starlink governed by private commercial contract'
Rubio stressed that the use and speed of Starlink services are determined by a private commercial contract.
He said, "The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they'll allow it to be used at."
This statement comes amid conflicting reports about whether Musk consulted with senior administration officials before making the decision.
Access debate
Musk says US government ordered Starlink slowdown
The decision to limit Starlink's access has been a matter of dispute.
Some US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter said the White House was behind this, and Musk himself denied any involvement in an October 14 post on X.
He wrote, "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."
Operational impact
Impact on Ukraine's drone operations
The military-grade version of Starlink, also known as Starshield, is crucial for Ukraine's drone operations.
However, under the cap on October 14, objects flying faster than 161km/h couldn't connect with Starshield.
This had a significant impact on drone operations amid Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's power plants.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed both the US and SpaceX for these issues.
Denials issued
Trump denies US interference in matter
Both Donald Trump and other administration officials have denied any US interference in the matter.
"I didn't do that. No, we didn't do that at all," Trump said as he left for a campaign trip to Georgia.
He also added, "I don't know if it was anybody, because it wasn't me and I don't think it was Elon."
Government involvement
Zelensky says message sent by US government
Zelensky insisted that it was a message from the American government to limit the speed, and technically SpaceX did it.
Meanwhile, Rubio denied any lapse in Starlink services or intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
He called claims that people in Ukraine are dying because of US withholding information "scandalous" and "outrageous."