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United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Washington was discussing Ukraine's request for access to the military-grade Starshield satellite communications system but denied that the United States had deliberately restricted satellite services used by Ukrainian forces.
"It's not at this moment available to Ukraine, and that's under conversation," Rubio said, distinguishing Starshield from Starlink, the commercial satellite internet service.
Both systems are operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, although Starshield was developed specifically for U.S. government and national security applications.
"Starshield is a contract with the U.S. military. It has nothing to do with Ukraine," Rubio said.
He added that Kyiv had requested access to the system to conduct long-range strikes inside Russia.
“It’s under discussion right now of how they would want to use it,” he said.
Rubio also dismissed allegations that the United States deliberately disrupted satellite services used by Ukrainian forces Wednesday.
Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's remarks suggesting the disruptions were intentional, Rubio questioned the Ukrainian leader's understanding of the situation.
"Well, I don't know what Zelenskyy said. I'm not sure Zelenskyy knows what he's talking about, but it wasn't deliberate. We have nothing to do with that," Rubio said.
Ukrainian officials reported Wednesday that restrictions affecting U.S.-made Starlink terminals had slowed some drones operating on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had not received the usual advance warnings from Western partners about Russian ballistic missile strikes targeting Kyiv.
Rubio maintained that Washington had not ordered any reduction in Starlink speeds and said the service had reportedly returned to its previous level.
"No one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet or slow down speed so that certain drones couldn't use it," Rubio said.
He described reports suggesting otherwise as "categorically false."
President Donald Trump also denied Friday that he had ordered any temporary disruption to satellite communications supporting Ukraine's military.
Asked whether he or Musk had decided to suspend access, Trump rejected the suggestion.
"It wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"From what I understand, it's the same as it's always been," he added.
His remarks followed statements by Musk that restrictions on Starshield services would ultimately be determined by the U.S. government.
"Any limits on speed or usage" of Starshield systems were "decided by the U.S. military and ultimately POTUS," Musk said, referring to Trump.
The comments raised questions about who controlled the reported restrictions and whether they resulted from technical problems or government decisions.
Zelenskyy said Friday that the affected satellite services were being restored following discussions with Ukraine's partners.
"My partners told me that the administration and the White House sent a message to SpaceX asking them" to restore the service, he said.
Ukraine relies heavily on SpaceX satellite technology for battlefield communications, drone operations and coordination of defenses against Russian attacks.
Ukrainian officials have described Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, as important for communications and drone operations, although Rubio insisted that Kyiv did not currently have access to the service.
The differing accounts have left questions about the precise systems affected and the circumstances surrounding the disruptions.
The controversy comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Kyiv over Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and Trump's recent agreement with Moscow on diesel supplies.
Trump has urged Ukraine to stop targeting Russian oil refineries, arguing that the attacks are contributing to rising global energy prices.
Zelenskyy has criticized Washington's decision to allow additional Russian diesel onto international markets, arguing that easing pressure on Moscow would encourage further aggression.
The dispute has intensified as Trump has publicly called for Zelenskyy to be replaced, further straining relations between the two leaders.
Despite the disagreements, Rubio said discussions over Ukraine's possible access to Starshield were continuing, with Washington examining how Kyiv intended to use the military satellite system.
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