<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concerns about the partnership between Ukraine and the United States, stating he feels his administration is “losing” a strong ally in the U.S. under President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>“It’s a pity that we are losing a strong partner,” Zelensky said regarding the U.S. during an interview with Piers Morgan on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Zelensky’s comments followed reports that speed limits were imposed without warning on Ukraine’s Starshield terminals, which are part of SpaceX’s militarized version of Starlink, owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Ukrainian government indicated that these speed restrictions could disrupt Ukraine’s defense against Russian air attacks and lead to the cancellation of certain planned drone operations against Russia.</p>
<p>“It’s a big mistake. A lot of losses — this decision will bring a lot of human losses,” Zelensky said regarding the Starlink speed restrictions.</p>
<p>However, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who left Zelensky’s administration in July, claimed on X that Starlink connectivity is being restored to its regular speeds without the restrictions. “Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored,” Fedorov said. “Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.”</p>
<p>Reports of Starlink restrictions have raised concerns among Ukraine’s allies in Congress. The bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus — Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), and Joe Wilson (R-SC) — stated that “restrictions that put civilians in harm’s way are unconscionable and will not be accepted by Congress.”</p>
<p>“We are alarmed by reports from Ukraine that U.S. intelligence and Starlink support are being withheld, putting innocent civilians and American citizens in Ukraine at the mercy of Russian attacks,” the caucus co-chairs said. “Congress has repeatedly made clear that the United States should provide intelligence support to save lives from Russia’s merciless strikes. U.S. allies pay for Ukraine’s access to Starlink.”</p>
<p>The Starlink restriction news comes amid ongoing tensions in U.S.-Ukrainian relations, following disputes between Trump and Zelensky earlier this week regarding Trump’s announced energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky stated that Russia had violated the ceasefire terms concerning strikes against energy infrastructure, while Trump insisted that the deal was still in effect.</p>
<p>Zelensky mentioned on Tuesday that Ukraine had not received intelligence from allies about an incoming series of airstrikes. Although he did not blame any specific country for the lack of warning, this news followed reports that the U.S. allegedly threatened to stop sharing intelligence if Ukraine continued attacking Russian energy infrastructure. Trump denied these reports on Tuesday.</p>
<p>“We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end, so we’re working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end,” Trump said.</p>
<p>Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also highlighted the reported throttling of Starshield, urging SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to address the issue publicly.</p>
<p>Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) commented on the reports of speed restrictions on X, calling the news “deeply alarming.”</p>