Elon Musk says Trump is 'ultimately' responsible for any curbs on Ukraine's Starshield systems - CNBC
Elon Musk stated that the U.S. government and President Trump hold ultimate authority over Starshield satellite restrictions in Ukraine. This follows reports of connectivity issues affecting Ukrainian military operations.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the complex intersection of private technology companies, national security, and geopolitical conflict.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump are responsible for any curbs on Ukraine's military-grade Starlink network.
Writing on X, Musk said that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
Ukraine had accused SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on the Starshield internet service without warning, leading to disruptions to Ukrainian military operations amid fresh Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.
On Wednesday, Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on defense technology, said SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion, without notifying the country's defense forces.
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