Trump Confirmed He Called Musk to Restore Ukraine Starlink Access After Speed Caps Were Imposed

President Donald Trump confirmed he personally spoke to Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on SpaceX's Starlink satellite service in Ukraine, telling reporters Thursday that "he put it back" while declining to specify whether it was he or someone else who made the call. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had intervened directly with Musk after Ukraine's military-grade Starshield service was throttled, disrupting battlefield operations including drone interception missions against Russian attacks.

The episode had already triggered significant confusion about responsibility. Musk had previously written on X that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," while the White House and Musk both initially denied ordering the slowdown. A Western official had told Reuters the order came from inside the White House. Service was ultimately restored, but the chain of command remained disputed until Trump's remarks Thursday implicitly acknowledged his role.

Trump was separately asked about Zelenskyy's statement that fresh Russian overnight strikes proved Putin does not want peace, responding only that "we will see how it works out" and noting the attacks had been recurring. On the political fallout from the ongoing Iran war, Trump acknowledged there is "a price to pay" while saying voters have mixed feelings about it. Separately, Trump said he would hold off on imposing tariffs on wind turbines and their components, citing national security grounds.