Zelensky Questions in PBS Interview Whether Musk Could Have Restricted Starshield Alone, Calling It a Military, Government System
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a PBS NewsHour interview broadcast on November 2, said he was not sure Elon Musk could have decided on his own to restrict the Starshield satellite service used by Ukraine's military, because Starshield is a military system, a government version, and such a decision was unlikely to rest with Musk personally alone.
Starshield is SpaceX's military satellite communications system, operated under a U.S. government contract. In October, Starshield terminals used by Ukrainian forces were slowed and lost connection at high speeds, briefly affecting Ukrainian drone units before speeds were restored. Zelensky also said in the interview that he did not know the system's rules or which U.S. officials, if any, had made or allowed the decision; he expressed gratitude for Starlink's help and said he had wanted to speak with Musk after the disruption.
U.S. officials have denied White House involvement in the slowdown. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said the White House had nothing to do with it, and Rubio has said use and speed limits are governed by a private commercial contract. Musk, for his part, has said Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that limits are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president; he later said Ukraine had violated Starlink's terms by using it for offensive drone strikes and that the loophole had been closed. The accounts conflict, and how the slowdown was decided remains unresolved.
(Source: PBS)
Source: PBS
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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