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Trump Urges Musk to Lift Starlink Restrictions

President Donald Trump called Elon Musk to ask him to lift the restrictions on the military‑grade Starlink system used by Ukraine. The request came after Musk had imposed a speed cap on the Starshield network, which Ukraine relies on for communications and logistics during its war with Russia. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump spoke to Musk by phone and urged him to restore normal service. Musk had previously announced the slowdown following concerns about the system’s use by Ukrainian forces. Trump denied knowing who had ordered the throttling and said he was not involved in the decision. U.S. and Ukrainian officials reported that Starlink was working more normally shortly after the call. The move has drawn criticism from lawmakers who question the U.S. government’s control over critical technology. Sen. Richard Blumenthal has opened an inquiry into the decision, while Sen. John Cornyn suggested Musk would not throttle Starlink without White House approval. Trump said he would not comment on whether he made the call, stating “whether I called or not makes no difference.”

· CNBC

The essential points

  1. 01Trump called Elon Musk to lift Ukraine Starlink speed cap
  2. 02Musk had slowed the military‑grade Starlink system amid concerns over its use
  3. 03U.S. and Ukrainian officials said service improved shortly after the call
  4. 04Lawmakers, including Sen. Blumenthal, are investigating the decision to throttle the network
The full brief

President Donald Trump called Elon Musk to ask him to lift the restrictions on the military‑grade Starlink system used by Ukraine. The request came after Musk had imposed a speed cap on the Starshield network, which Ukraine relies on for communications and logistics during its war with Russia. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump spoke to Musk by phone and urged him to restore normal service. Musk had previously announced the slowdown following concerns about the system’s use by Ukrainian forces. Trump denied knowing who had ordered the throttling and said he was not involved in the decision.

U. S. and Ukrainian officials reported that Starlink was working more normally shortly after the call. The move has drawn criticism from lawmakers who question the U. S.

government’s control over critical technology. Sen. Richard Blumenthal has opened an inquiry into the decision, while Sen. John Cornyn suggested Musk would not throttle Starlink without White House approval. Trump said he would not comment on whether he made the call, stating “whether I called or not makes no difference.”