US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday denied that the Trump administration had ordered any restrictions on Starlink satellite internet services used by Ukrainian forces, following reports that Elon Musk had directed a slowdown affecting military operations.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai during his three-day visit to India, Rubio stressed that Starlink is operated by a private company and that decisions regarding its services are governed by contractual agreements.
“Starlink is a private company. They have a contract. They have contractual terms upon how that technology can be used. The important point is we cannot direct a private company as to the decisions they make or not make,” Rubio said.
He categorically rejected suggestions that President Donald Trump or other US government officials had requested changes to the system.
“What I can tell you with certainty is the president of the United States, nor anyone in our system, ever requested that any changes to that system be made, and that’s what we said repeatedly,” he added.
Rubio’s comments followed a report published Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, which alleged that SpaceX founder Elon Musk had ordered a reduction in the speed of a military-grade version of Starlink used by Ukrainian forces.
Citing US officials familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that the restrictions significantly affected Ukraine’s ability to operate certain military drones, rendering some nearly unusable.
Following publication of the report, Musk wrote on X that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” referring to the US president.
However, Trump told reporters on Monday that he was unaware of who had authorised the reported slowdown.
“But I would like to find out,” he said.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the controversy on Tuesday, maintaining that Washington had not withdrawn any support.
“We haven’t pulled anything back,” Hegseth said, while acknowledging that Starlink could make decisions regarding its own terms of service.
The differing statements have raised questions about who controls operational restrictions on satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces.
Starlink has played an important role in maintaining communications for Ukraine during its war with Russia, including supporting military coordination and drone operations.
The precise circumstances surrounding the reported slowdown remain disputed, with US officials denying government involvement and Musk pointing to military authorities as responsible for determining service restrictions.