WASHINGTON, Oct 23 - President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would take action if access to Starlink satellite communications in Ukraine was still impaired. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said he had not yet discussed the matter with SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk but that he would do so if the problem had not been corrected.
"If there is a problem, I’ll get it straightened out," the president said.
According to Ukrainian officials, speed restrictions on Starlink systems in Ukraine remained in place as of Friday. Those restrictions were implemented on Oct. 13, and Ukrainian statements that the limitations persisted appeared to contradict an earlier statement from the president that Starlink services had been fully restored.
Trump also offered a personal endorsement of Musk in his remarks to the press. "Elon will never do anything wrong. I know him very well. He’s a fair person, and you know it’s an unusual situation where they’re talking to a private company. But he’s not going to do anything that’s wrong," the president said.
The president framed the situation as one he would correct if necessary, while Ukrainian officials provided a different account of service status on the ground. The speed caps on Starlink have been in place since Oct. 13 as relations between Kyiv and Washington deteriorated, according to the timeline cited by Ukrainian authorities.
There was no indication in the president’s remarks that he had yet engaged directly with SpaceX leadership. He said he had not spoken with Musk about the issue, but that he would do so if access remained unresolved.
The public comments highlight a divergence between statements from the U.S. president and Ukrainian officials over the operational status of satellite-based internet services in Ukraine. The role of a private company operating critical communications infrastructure was noted by the president as an "unusual situation," and he reiterated his confidence in Musk’s conduct.
Contextual note: The available public statements present differing accounts about whether Starlink speed restrictions persist in Ukraine. The president said services had been restored, while Ukrainian officials reported that caps remained in effect.