Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told US President Donald Trump that Ukraine must retain full access to Starlink so it can continue defending itself against Russia's full-scale invasion, Downing Street said.
The conversation came after restrictions were placed on Kyiv's use of the satellite communications system, which Ukraine relies on to help intercept Russian missile and drone attacks. Last week, speed limits significantly curtailed Ukraine's ability to do so.
Starlink Restrictions Raised Directly
In a readout of the call on Friday, a No 10 spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister spoke to the President of the United States of America Donald Trump today."
"The Prime Minister underlined the importance for Ukraine to have full access to Starlink so they can continue to defend themselves against Russia's full-scale invasion. The Prime Minister recognised the work of President Trump to bring Putin to the negotiation table and the leaders agreed to work together, alongside international partners, to bring an end to the bloodshed."
Musk's Role in the Slowdown
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has suggested the order to impose caps on the system came from the White House, though the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk was behind the slowdown. Trump denied instructing Musk to restrict connectivity to Starlink's military-grade counterpart, Starshield, before saying the tycoon had "put it back".
Asked on Friday, Trump said: "If there is a problem, I will get it straightened out." He added: "I have not spoken to him. I might have to, but I have not. I've heard it was fixed, but if it's not, I'll speak to him."
