AP: Ukraine awaits explanation over Starshield restrictions, confusion emerges in Trump team

An internal conflict is ongoing in the US over the circumstances that led to the restriction of the Starshield satellite service, which is critically important for the Ukrainian military. According to the Associated Press, the administration of US President Donald Trump and his inner circle still do not have a unified version of who made the decision to impose the restrictions. Meanwhile, Ukraine remains without a clear official explanation for the causes of these disruptions.

Different versions in the White House

US administration officials are giving contradictory comments regarding the incident. Donald Trump himself publicly denied on Thursday, 22 October, that he had ordered the system's operation to be restricted. He also stated that the service is again operating at full speed.

However, US Vice President JD Vance hinted at possible coordination of actions between the White House and Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, the developer of Starlink and Starshield. In contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth denied the administration's involvement in implementing the restrictions. This discrepancy in the positions of key officials has only intensified questions about who is actually responsible for the situation that arose.

Impact on military operations

Starshield is the military modification of the Starlink satellite internet. This system plays a key role in ensuring communications and controlling Ukrainian drones, especially in the context of countering Russian attacks.

Last week, the imposition of restrictions caused concern among Ukrainian military commanders and government representatives. According to them, drones were lost due to the disruptions, and planned military missions were thwarted. Although the US President stated that full operation had been restored, a senior European official familiar with the situation stated that the actual state of affairs had not changed. In his assessment, speed restrictions are still being maintained at a level of approximately 160 km/h.

Reaction of the US Congress

The lack of transparency and contradictory statements by US officials have provoked outrage among members of the US Congress who advocate for a tougher policy towards Russia and support for Ukraine. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal announced the launch of a new investigation to determine the circumstances of the speed restrictions for Ukrainian defence systems.

As AP notes, an agency source who was not authorised to comment publicly on the situation confirmed that Ukraine has still not received an official explanation from the US regarding who initiated the restrictions and why this happened. The main questions remain identifying the initiator of the actions, the reasons for the restrictions, and the actual operational status of the service at present.