On NBC's Meet the Press, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about statements he has made regarding U.S. support. He said, "President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Marco] Rubio have categorically said that no one under the Trump administration did that, and I think it is very reckless for President Zelenskyy to make such a charge," adding, "President Zelenskyy should be very careful about making statements like this that aren't true."
The slowdown of the U.S.-provided service has made it harder for Ukraine to respond to Russian assaults.
Ukraine leans on SpaceX's Starlink for battlefield connectivity, and Elon Musk said on X last week that the military variant, Starshield, is run by Washington. "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," he wrote, adding, "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." President Donald Trump has denied being responsible for any slowdown, saying, "Well, I don't know if it was anybody because it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," and, "And from what I understand, it's the same as it's always been."
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Who controls or curbs Starlink and Starshield shapes risk for companies tied to defense tech and secure communications. Policy clarity matters because network performance in a live conflict can ripple into procurement decisions, contract visibility and valuation for suppliers across the military communications stack. The bottom line: headlines about access and authority are not just politics - they are signals for cash flows in space and defense.
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