The United States has lifted restrictions on the Starshield satellite network and intelligence sharing used by the Ukrainian military, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Oct 25. Speaking after talks with U.S. officials in Oslo, Zelenskyy said both issues were resolved, though he added that a shortage of air defense missiles for Patriot systems remains an unresolved challenge.
The restoration follows a bipartisan effort in the Senate, where lawmakers threatened to stall the confirmation of President Trump’s executive branch nominees until critical satellite communications were restored. The standoff brought focus to the U.S. government’s reliance on Elon Musk’s SpaceX for war-fighting assets, with reports indicating the U.S. has asked Musk for years to alter Starlink services across conflict zones in the Middle East and Ukraine.
