Elon Musk throttled Starlink, key to fighting Russia, in Ukraine. Trump knew it

Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service in Ukraine, a key lifeline for the country's fight against Russia, without informing Kyiv in advance, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump, however, knew about the decision.According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk ordered a slowdown of the satellite-based network last week, capping the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could remain connected to Starlink.Ukraine relies on Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations, making the satellite service a crucial part of its fight against Russia. The restrictions left some Ukrainian drones virtually inoperable, according to the report.The SpaceX CEO and US President Donald Trump discussed the slowdown soon after it became public last week, the Wall Street Journal reported. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said Musk had also discussed the move with several senior Trump administration officials, including Trump, before the speed restrictions were imposed. Trump, however, said on Monday that he did not know who had ordered the Starlink disruption, adding, “But I’d like to find out.”Reuters had earlier reported that the order to limit the satellite system came from inside the White House. Last week, Trump said he did not believe either he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing Starlink access. Musk, meanwhile, said any restrictions on speed or Starship use had been decided by the US military or the President.On Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Washington had not withdrawn Ukraine's ability to access Starlink, while suggesting that the issue concerned the terms of service Kyiv needed to comply with.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is in Oslo seeking to repair ties with Washington, said he had discussed “the situation with Starlink/Starshield, which needs to be restored” with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.STARLINK ROW IN INDIAThe reported slowdown in Ukraine has also brought renewed attention to the strategic implications of Starlink in India, even as Musk faces a hurdle over his company's proposed entry into the country's satellite internet market.On October 7, Musk accused “certain oligarchs” of blocking Starlink “in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”. Responding to a post claiming that 11,256 Indian villages still lacked 4G coverage, he called the alleged obstruction “a crime against the people of India”.A day later, Musk directly questioned whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani was “the real boss of India”.He said Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with every requirement of the Indian government.The remarks drew a response from Rahul Gandhi, who welcomed Musk to India and said, “Wait till you discover the other guy.” Musk replied, “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling.”Reliance Industries subsequently rejected the suggestion that it opposed competition in satellite communications.“We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” the company said in a statement.Starlink uses a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide internet connectivity, including in areas where mobile networks and fibre-optic cables struggle to reach. However, its pricing could put the service beyond the reach of many people in India's rural hinterland, even as the country expands mobile connectivity.The dispute has also raised questions about India's reliance on foreign satellite networks. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu warned that India could not afford to trust foreign satellite networks and needed to build its own.- Ends