World

Trump asked Musk to lift Starlink restrictions in Ukraine

The U.S. president called the SpaceX chief to remove limits on military satellite service in the conflict zone, according to press reports.

23 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Trump asked Musk to lift Starlink restrictions in Ukraine — Archive photoPhoto: Tim Bartel from Cologne, Germany · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Donald Trump called Elon Musk to request that he lift restrictions imposed on Starlink's military version in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to the U.S. publication, Trump expressed his frustration to Musk over speed limits applied to equipment connected to the satellite network.

The restrictions on the service affected the effectiveness of attack drones used by Ukrainian forces. The military-use system appeared to function more normally shortly after the call between Trump and Musk, according to media reports.

Trump publicly asserted that Musk has restored the Starlink system for Ukraine and highlighted the importance of this reactivation for the conflict with Russia. The U.S. president dismissed criticism about the entrepreneur's power over this crucial system, saying he will speak with Musk if problems persist and expressing confidence in his integrity.

In parallel, the White House announced that Melania Trump, the First Lady, was mediating negotiations for a local ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky. According to the White House, the First Lady worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian officials to reach this agreement.

The ceasefire in Oleshky was set to begin in late October, according to reports. The agreement would allow humanitarian aid to enter and enable the evacuation of civilians through a safe corridor, the White House said.

Zelenski has reported Starlink connection failures that affect Ukrainian military operations. Trump has indicated he will continue communicating with Musk to resolve technical issues with the satellite service in Ukraine.

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