Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has been "betrayed" by US President Donald Trump after a key component of his country's defence measures went down. Zelensky claims that Trump and ally Elon Musk deliberately blocked Ukraine's access to Starlink overnight after the Ukrainian military faced slowdowns in speed. Starlink is a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, Musk's aerospace company. It provides high-speed broadband globally.
Zelensky's interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored
Appearing on the YouTube talk show "Piers Morgan Uncensored", Zelensky was asked if he had been "betrayed" by the Trump administration. Zelensky answered, "Yes".
"It's a pity that we are losing a strong partner," Mr Zelensky told Mr Morgan. "I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States. This decision will bring a lot of human losses. Of course, people will die."
Human toll and military impact
His comments come after at least nine people were killed in Russian air attacks on Ukraine, while hundreds of thousands were left without power just days after Mr Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" in the war that started over four years ago. Ukrainian forces were also forced to cancel missions after losing access to high-speed services.
Musk's response and White House talks
Mr Musk, in response, said that any military use of the Starlink network was a matter for the US government and the US president, while others said connectivity was being restored after the outcry. "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," Mr Musk said. "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company."
Zelensky's top advisors spoke to White House officials on Wednesday and asked whether there was a decision to shut down Starlink and what could be done to remedy the situation, according to reports by Axios. Axios reported that two White House officials said Ukraine had contacted the Pentagon, which has control over Starshield, and that the defence department does not have control over Starlink. Trump was reportedly reaching out to SpaceX to determine what occurred.
