Trump’s directive to SpaceX
On Oct. 23, President Donald Trump said he would help resolve any remaining problems with Ukraine’s military-grade Starlink service, Starshield. This statement follows a Wall Street Journal report on Oct. 23 that the president ordered SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Oct. 21 to lift restrictions on the service. Trump expressed frustration because the system’s speeds remained capped at around 160 kilometers (100 miles) an hour. Although he has not spoken to Musk about the issue yet, the president said he might do so if the problems persist. "I have not spoken to him," Trump said. "I might have to, but I have not… I’ve heard it’s fixed. If it’s not, I will speak to him…. If there’s a problem, I will get it straightened out." Trump said he has not spoken to Musk about the issue, but he noted that he might have to do so if the problems persist. Trump intends to address these specific speed limitations if the technical difficulties continue to hinder the military operations of Ukraine.
| Service Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Starshield speed cap | 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour |
Ukrainian technical failures
Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 23 that Starshield terminals still experience severe problems. The Ukrainian military relies on these Starshield terminals to control interceptor drones designed to counter Russia’s jet-powered Geran drones, which Moscow has deployed as part of a renewed campaign of attacks targeting Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. When asked whether Trump’s intervention had resolved the Starshield problems, a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent, "Overall, there’s no change anywhere." A Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed the failure of the service, stating that "Starshield still doesn’t work." The fact that the service remains unreliable leads to questions about whether the U.S. government controls vital national security infrastructure or whether authority ultimately rests with Elon Musk and SpaceX.
