Ukraine accuses Washington and SpaceX of using Starshield to force territorial concession

Ukraine has accused Washington and SpaceX of using military communications as political leverage, as President Donald Trump’s envoys explore a settlement that could involve Ukraine surrendering the Donbas in exchange for NATO membership. The move has prompted lawmakers in Washington to demand accountability, warning that military pressure must not be used to force Kyiv into territorial concessions.

The immediate concern for Ukraine is the impact of restrictions on Starshield, the military-grade satellite communications system operated by SpaceX under US government control. Ukrainian forces depend on the network for battlefield communications, drone operations and air defence coordination. The system has reportedly been subjected to speed restrictions of around 160kmph, compared with its earlier operational threshold of more than 400 km/h. Connections are automatically severed when Ukrainian equipment exceeds the new limit, creating serious difficulties for military operations.

The restrictions have hurt Ukraine’s ability to deploy jet-powered interceptor drones and helicopters against incoming Russian Shahed drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his military technology adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov have warned that the limitations have undermined the country’s ability to intercept Russian aerial attacks. Ukrainian forces have struggled to respond to some incoming strikes, allowing Russian drones to penetrate defences and cause civilian casualties and damage to urban infrastructure.

Kyiv has also questioned the circumstances surrounding the restrictions. Zelensky has accused SpaceX of misleading Ukraine about the changes, rejecting the suggestion that the disruptions are the result of a technical malfunction. Ukrainian defence officials say the deterioration in performance has been observed systematically across different sectors of the front. SpaceX, however, has denied making changes to the network, leaving the question of who authorised the restrictions unresolved.

In October, restrictions were reportedly imposed on Ukrainian connectivity for around 10 days after the Trump administration pressed Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries. The move was linked to concerns about the impact of such strikes on domestic diesel prices in the US ahead of the midterm elections. SpaceX has previously told Congress that Starshield is controlled by the Pentagon and that earlier restrictions applied to civilian Starlink services used in offensive operations. The Pentagon has yet to provide a comprehensive explanation for the latest restrictions, saying only that it is examining the matter.

For Ukraine, however, the issue goes beyond the immediate military consequences. Kyiv is particularly concerned that the restrictions appear to be geographically selective, affecting areas along the front lines and Russian-occupied territories rather than the entire country. Zelensky has warned that treating occupied Ukrainian territory differently from the rest of the country carries political implications. By restricting services in areas temporarily controlled by Russia, Washington risks sending a signal that these territories are no longer regarded as part of Ukraine. Such a distinction, Kyiv fears, could strengthen Moscow’s position in negotiations and lend legitimacy to its territorial claims.

The controversy has prompted a strong reaction in Washington. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chris Coons have sent a letter to SpaceX chief Elon Musk, directing the company to preserve all records relating to restrictions on Starlink and Starshield since September 1. The demand covers network logs, operational instructions, software changes, internal communications and correspondence with the Pentagon, the White House and Russian officials. SpaceX has been given until November 30 to comply.

House Democrats Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith have also criticised the restrictions, arguing that limitations on Ukraine’s military communications have contributed to civilian deaths, including those of children, while strengthening Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position at the negotiating table. Their criticism has been echoed by lawmakers from both parties, including Republican Senator Thom Tillis and members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. They have called for the restoration of Ukraine’s full access to Starshield and questioned whether the Trump administration is using its influence over the satellite network to extract territorial concessions from Kyiv.

The political confrontation has unfolded even as a diplomatic effort by Trump’s special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff is underway. After two days of discussions involving Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives in Abu Dhabi, which resulted in a major prisoner exchange but no breakthrough on a peace settlement, the two envoys travelled to Moscow for a meeting with Putin. They subsequently met Zelensky in Dublin, extending the diplomatic initiative that has increasingly drawn criticism from Kyiv’s European partners.

The most contentious issue in the discussions was a proposal that Ukraine surrender the eastern Donbas region to Russia in exchange for Nato membership or security guarantees resembling those offered by the alliance. Zelensky confirmed that the Americans had raised the possibility, but said the proposal remained vague. He also pointed out that it did not envisage the deployment of American peacekeeping forces on Ukrainian territory. Kyiv has consistently rejected any settlement that requires it to formally surrender sovereign territory seized through Russian aggression. Zelensky has argued that a lasting agreement must be built around an enforceable ceasefire and credible Western security commitments rather than territorial concessions.

Putin has meanwhile sought to advance proposals for localised truces. During the Moscow meeting, he suggested a five-day humanitarian ceasefire in the contested city of Kostyantynivka to facilitate civilian evacuations. He cited an earlier evacuation arrangement in Russian-held Oleshky, reportedly facilitated by Melania Trump. Kyiv, however, has dismissed the proposal as a potential military manoeuvre. Ukrainian officials argue that Russia used the earlier pause to rotate troops and reposition heavy equipment, and fear that a similar arrangement in Kostyantynivka could help Russian forces advance towards the strategically important defensive centres of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

The negotiations have also reopened the wider question of Europe’s security architecture. Moscow continues to demand a rollback of NATO infrastructure to its 1997 positions and a permanent prohibition on foreign military forces being stationed in Ukraine. These demands go well beyond the territorial questions at the centre of the current negotiations and reflect Russia’s longstanding ambition to reshape the European security order.

European leaders are increasingly uneasy about the prospect of Washington and Moscow negotiating the continent’s future without their participation. Kushner’s suggestion that European countries appoint a single representative to the negotiations has drawn attention to the need for a coordinated European position. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Zelensky have insisted that European partners must be fully represented in any future negotiating framework. Meanwhile, countries such as Denmark are continuing military and energy assistance, including supplies of ammunition for Ukrainian F-16 aircraft, as Russia intensifies its attacks on energy infrastructure ahead of winter.