Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Friday that German funded Starlink equipment in Ukraine must function, adding that Berlin lacked a full picture of what caused the restrictions on a service contract that Germany is funding through April 2027. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that while SpaceX internet speeds are gradually recovering, the White House has not yet lifted all restrictions on the Ukrainian military, leaving forces unable to use the system for midrange strikes.
The inquiry follows a Reuters report citing two US officials and a Western official that the order to slow Ukraine's military grade Starshield service came from inside the White House, though a senior US official said President Donald Trump made no such request. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had shifted blame to Washington after the unannounced speed caps—set at 160 km/h (100 mph) and dropping as low as 60 to 70 km/h—disrupted Ukrainian frontline drone strikes and interceptor drones used against Russian jet powered Shaheds, stating on X that Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government.