"Ukraine's Starlink Restrictions Were Musk's Decision"... U.S. Secretary of State Denies Involvement Allegations

On allegations of restricted Starshield access, counters:
"Why would the president direct a private company?"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio categorically denied allegations that The Trump Administration was involved in restricting the Ukrainian military's access to the Starshield satellite communications network.

According to the State Department on October 21 (local time), Rubio told reporters that day while en route to India, "What I can say with certainty is that neither the U.S. president nor anyone else in our government has ever requested a change to the system."

Rubio stressed, "There have been claims in outside reports that the U.S. government is withholding something Ukraine needs to defend itself, but that is not true. And it is also inaccurate for Ukrainian leaders to continue making such claims."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks with his wife to board a plane at an airport in Mumbai, India, on the 21st (local time). Mumbai, India=AP-Yonhap News.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) previously reported that Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, which operates Starlink, the network on which Starshield is based, ordered speed restrictions on Starshield. It also reported that before imposing the restrictions, Musk discussed them with senior administration officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump.

Rubio countered, "The reports portrayed this as though it were part of a directive from the U.S. government," adding, "But President Trump has never once ordered that use of the system be prohibited to punish them or teach them a lesson."

He reiterated, "The president has nothing to do with Starlink, Starshield, or the decisions made by CEO Musk. Isn't it a private company? The president does not run the company and cannot direct it to take any action."

He further pointed out that the United States had already provided Ukraine with sufficient support. Rubio said, "I don't know which Ukrainian government official has been going around saying that many people died because the United States refused to provide Ukraine with [Starshield and other systems]. But that is not true, and the United States has never refused to provide them."

He countered, "Haven't millions of lives already been saved thanks to the support the United States has provided?" The remarks appeared to be directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Rubio added, "I will no longer take a defensive posture on this issue. Without U.S. support, including that of The Trump Administration, Ukraine would not exist today."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.