# Trump denies ordering Starlink slowdown in Ukraine

> President Trump says he had nothing to do with SpaceX's decision to slow Starlink speeds in Ukraine, contradicting a Wall Street Journal report.
- Title: Trump denies ordering Starlink slowdown in Ukraine · CNBC
- Summary: President Trump says he had nothing to do with SpaceX's decision to slow Starlink speeds in Ukraine, contradicting a Wall Street Journal report. Trump denied…
- Keywords: donald trump, elon musk, starlink, ukraine, spacex, starshield, wall street journal, business, finance, Trump, denies, ordering
- Source: CNBC — https://cnbc.com/2026/10/21/trump-starlink-ukraine-elon-musk.html
- Author: Kevin Breuninger
- Published: 2026-10-21T20:33:08+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, elon musk, starlink, ukraine, spacex, starshield, wall street journal, business, finance
## Trump denies any involvement
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had nothing to do with a slowdown of SpaceX's Starlink in Ukraine and does not know who ordered it.

> I wasn't involved
## Journal reports Musk ordered slowdown
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Elon Musk ordered the slowdown and discussed it with Trump, citing unnamed U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter.
## Ukraine faces military consequences
The disruption of Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, rendered some Ukrainian drones effectively useless.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his military faces speed restrictions on Starlink and Starshield services in different parts of the front.

> No explanation for either of these issues has been provided to Ukraine by the American side
## Musk claims military controls Starshield
Elon Musk said on X that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government and any speed or usage limits are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president.

> owned and controlled by the US government
## Senator doubts Musk acted alone
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told CNBC he does not believe Musk would throttle Starlink without at least the acquiescence of the White House.
## Key takeaway

Trump denied involvement in a Starlink slowdown in Ukraine reported by the Wall Street Journal, saying he does not know who ordered it.