Elon Musk Sets Ukraine’s Starlink Access, Not White House – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

According to a report by Kyiv Post on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said decisions concerning Ukraine’s access to Starlink satellite internet services rest with SpaceX and its owner, Elon Musk, rather than the White House.

Rubio made the remarks on Wednesday, October 21, while speaking to reporters during a visit to India, amid growing controversy over reported restrictions affecting satellite connectivity used by Ukrainian forces.

According to Reuters, Rubio said the service was governed by a private commercial agreement that determines how the technology can be used and the conditions under which it operates.

The agreement determines “how their stuff can be used and what speeds they’ll allow it to be used at,” Rubio said.

The US secretary of state added that he was not aware of the administration having prior knowledge of the decision to impose the restrictions.

SpaceX and Musk did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment, according to the report.

The remarks come amid conflicting accounts of how the restrictions were introduced and whether the decision was made by Musk, the US military or officials in President Donald Trump’s administration.

The controversy intensified following a Wall Street Journal report published on Tuesday, October 20, which alleged that Musk had ordered restrictions on the military-grade satellite service used by Ukraine.

Citing US officials and people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that the decision disrupted Ukrainian offensive and interceptor drones and caused confusion within the Trump administration.

However, accounts have differed over when Musk discussed the matter with Trump and other White House officials.

According to the Wall Street Journal report, one source said the discussions took place before the restrictions were introduced, while two others said Musk and Trump discussed the matter afterwards.

Reuters has separately cited two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter as saying the decision ultimately came from the White House. The Trump administration has denied that account.

Trump previously denied ordering the restrictions and said he did not believe Musk was responsible either.

Musk, meanwhile, said on October 14 that decisions concerning restrictions on Ukraine’s military-grade Starshield terminals were determined by the US military and ultimately rested with the president.

The differing accounts have left questions about the precise decision-making process and the respective roles of SpaceX, the US military and the White House.

Another point of disagreement concerns the distinction between Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, and Starshield, its more specialised government and military satellite communications offering.

Rubio has said Ukraine never had access to Starshield, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described disruptions affecting satellite services used by his country’s forces.

The reported restrictions concern the speed at which a terminal can move while maintaining a satellite connection, rather than the speed at which it transmits internet data.

Zelensky said on October 17 that terminals operating in Ukraine disconnected when moving faster than 161 kilometres per hour, or 100 miles per hour.

He said the interruptions affected Ukrainian interceptor drones, which depend on satellite connectivity for certain military operations.

According to Zelensky, Ukrainian specialists tested terminals travelling at approximately 180 kilometres per hour, or 112 miles per hour, in European Union territory without experiencing the same disconnections.

He argued that the comparison indicated the restrictions were specific to Ukraine, although the reported tests have not independently established the precise technical cause of the interruptions.

The issue is particularly significant for Ukrainian forces operating faster drones designed to intercept Russian jet-powered Shahed attack drones and conduct strikes beyond the range of conventional radio communications.

By contrast, stationary ground terminals and many short-range first-person-view drones, which generally rely on direct radio links, have reportedly been largely unaffected by the movement-speed restrictions.

Starlink is also used for military communications, the transmission of targeting information and logistical coordination, making satellite connectivity important beyond individual drone missions.

Any disruption can therefore create operational challenges for Ukrainian units that depend on the network to communicate across dispersed positions.

Ukraine has continued to seek clarification from Washington over the restrictions and their implications for military operations.

During a virtual meeting with US lawmakers on Monday, October 19, Zelensky said Washington had yet to explain the satellite restrictions or the reported absence of advance warnings about Russian ballistic missile attacks.

He raised the issues during discussions with a bipartisan group of members of the US Senate and House of Representatives as Kyiv sought to restore communications and strengthen its air defences.

The dispute comes amid wider questions about the reliability of Ukraine’s access to American technology and intelligence as the war with Russia continues.

European governments have also been examining possible alternatives to Starlink. However, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on October 16 that Europe could not replace Starlink’s capabilities in the short term.

The European Commission has been discussing Ukraine’s participation in GOVSATCOM, a programme that pools satellite resources to provide secure communications for government users.

However, Brussels has not confirmed that the programme could meet the same operational requirements as Starlink on the battlefield.

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