Trump says Musk has restored Ukraine's access to Starlink internet

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that businessman Elon Musk has restored Ukraine's access to Starlink, the satellite internet service. Ukraine's military depends on it for battlefield communications, early-warning systems and the use of drones against Russia.

Trump declined to comment on a report that he had pressed Musk to act, but said: "Bottom line, he put it back." His administration has previously insisted it did not instruct Musk's company to restrict access.

Zelensky: speed not yet fully restored

Hours before Trump spoke, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a press conference that the system's speed had not yet returned to 400 km/h (250 mph), adding that work was continuing. He said he was waiting to hear from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had promised information within about 48 hours.

The Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump had phoned Musk and asked him to lift the restrictions. According to officials cited by the paper, Trump was frustrated that speeds were still capped at around 160 km/h, a limit that left Ukraine's offensive drones and interceptors unable to counter Russian attacks. The paper said the system worked more normally on Thursday after the call. BBC News has not confirmed the report and has asked the White House and SpaceX for an explanation.

Background

Ukraine first reported a disruption to US intelligence sharing on 14 October. Last week Musk said the US government ultimately controls access to Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that Ukraine uses for some operations. He said it was designed for the Pentagon, suggesting it could be behind the restrictions. Musk has previously denied being responsible for the slowdown, and the White House has repeatedly said it did not order access to be restricted.

The restrictions came as Trump pressed Zelensky to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, which Trump argues have pushed up prices. With midterm elections due next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the US market. Ukraine and its European allies have criticised that move.