On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio emphasized that decisions regarding Ukraine’s access to the Starlink network are made by SpaceX and Elon Musk, not by the White House. His remarks come amid reports suggesting that Musk may have restricted Ukraine’s internet service to some extent.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of the Starlink service, which Ukraine relies on for defense against Russian missile attacks.
According to the WSJ, Musk, former President Donald Trump, and White House officials had prior discussions about the matter. Following the decision to slow down the service, sources indicated that Musk and Trump spoke further about the issue.
“I have no knowledge of whether we were aware of this decision beforehand. But that’s irrelevant,” Rubio stated during a press briefing in India. He added, “The conclusion is that how their services can be used and at what speeds is governed by a private commercial contract.” SpaceX and Musk did not respond to inquiries from Reuters for comments.
When asked about Musk’s involvement in the service slowdown, Trump said, “I don’t know who did it, but I wasn’t involved.” Reuters noted that two U.S. officials and one Western official informed them that the decision ultimately came from the White House. This view was supported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but denied by the U.S. administration.
Rubio’s statements are likely to heighten concerns within Washington regarding Musk’s influence on U.S. foreign policy. They also represent a shift in the Trump administration’s previous stance.
Previously, Trump publicly stated he did not believe that he or Musk were responsible for limiting Starlink service. During an official visit to Uzbekistan and India on Saturday, Rubio insisted that no one had ordered the slowdown of Starlink, a claim that drew criticism from lawmakers across both parties.
“I’m not sure Zelensky knows what he’s talking about, but it wasn’t intentional,” Rubio remarked at that time.
“We have no connection to this. I – the United States, no one ordered the slowdown of the Starlink speed. It just happened, but as far as I understand, the speed has been restored,” he clarified.
On Tuesday, during a press conference, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also characterized the limitation of the Starlink service as a commercial matter. However, no American official has publicly stated that they pressured SpaceX to reverse any disruptions.
“There are terms and conditions of use that ultimately need to be respected, and in this context, Starlink has the option to make such decisions,” Hegseth stated.
One key point of confusion relates to the distinction between SpaceX’s Starshield and Starlink products. Starshield is essentially a military-grade version of the Starlink system, developed for the Pentagon.
Rubio suggested on Saturday that Ukraine never had access to Starshield, while Zelensky stated that both Starlink and Starshield services were interrupted in Ukraine.
