Abstract:
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and asked Musk to lift restrictions on his Starlink satellite system, reports said on Thursday. Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the report said Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Musk over the fact that the system's speed was still limited to about 100 miles per hour. U.S. and Ukrainian officials said the satellite system was operating normally on Thursday, the report said.
As U.S.-Ukrainian relations have fallen to a new low in recent days, the "Starlink" system has become a major focus of controversy between the two countries.
Ukraine relies on Starshield, a militarized version of Starlink, to assist in air defense and help identify strike targets. The system is seen as vital to Ukrainian air defenses as Russia launches drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy previously accused the United States of restricting this service. Reports on Tuesday, citing unnamed U.S. officials and others, said the slowdown stemmed from an order from Musk.
Officials reportedly said Trump told aides this week that he wanted to lift the speed-reduction restrictions on Starlink.
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