White House says it does not control SpaceX amid Starlink restrictions in Ukraine – Axios

15.10.2026, 11:21 rubryka.com

According to the publication's sources, on Wednesday, top advisers to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, held talks with representatives of the White House, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Pentagon. The Ukrainian side sought to ascertain whether Washington had decided to restrict Starlink satellite communications and what steps could be taken to rectify the situation.

According to Axios sources, White House officials informed the Ukrainian side that the White House does not control SpaceX. At the same time, one of the publication's sources noted that the Trump administration plans to contact the company to find out what happened.

Background

The day before, the President of Ukraine's advisor and radio technology specialist Serhii Beskrestnov reported that during the night of October 14, SpaceX imposed restrictions on the operation of Starlink satellite communication terminals.

Following this, satellite communications began cutting out during drone movements at speeds exceeding 160 km/h. In some cases, the signal disappeared even at speeds above 80 km/h. Such restrictions significantly complicated the execution of combat missions by Ukrainian defense forces, notably impacting the operation of interceptor drones.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi also addressed the difficulties with Starlink. According to him, Ukraine is asking that the speed restrictions on Starlink terminals introduced on October 14 be lifted.

"If the speed drops, it is because of Starlink. So we understand what is happening. Therefore, they turned it off. This is their decision. I sincerely hope this is a mistake, perhaps a huge technical problem. I do not know. But we are asking to turn the system on. And I think it will be, frankly speaking, fair, as between partners," the head of state emphasized.

Furthermore, during a meeting in London with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, he reported on massive attacks and problems with satellite communications and the reception of intelligence data.

Ukraine's President also stated that Elon Musk's decision to restrict Starlink for Ukraine was a mistake that will lead to loss of life.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense informed Suspilne that SpaceX continues to restrict Starlink operations at speeds of 160 km/h.

The agency emphasized that it maintains contact with partners and SpaceX to ensure stable service provision and prevent sudden restrictions.

Against the backdrop of the situation, Elon Musk posted on the social network X. He did not explicitly mention the Starlink restrictions, but indirectly suggested who is responsible for imposing limitations on Ukraine.

He also emphasized the differences between Starshield and Starlink, particularly regarding ownership and control over their use.

"Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Its use is limited to civilian or defensive activity: the service cannot be applied to offensive military actions, as that would be unacceptable for a commercial company," Musk added.

US lawmakers visiting Kyiv on October 9 advocated expanding Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite system capabilities. In their view, this will help increase pressure on Russia, strengthen Ukraine's frontline positions, and create additional leverage during future peace negotiations.

Specifically, Republican Dan Crenshaw stated that he personally supports efforts to convince SpaceX owner Elon Musk to expand Starlink capabilities for Ukraine.