▲ U.S. President Donald Trump
Suspicions are rising that U.S. President Donald Trump's "fury" was behind the restrictions placed on the satellite internet service provided by American company SpaceX to the Ukrainian military.
On the 14th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Ukrainian officials suspect the "worst-case scenario" that President Trump directly ordered SpaceX to limit Starlink services in connection with this situation.
The analysis suggests that President Trump, who has become sensitive to the recent rise in diesel prices, resorted to the extreme measure of restricting internet usage to pressure Ukraine into joining an energy ceasefire.
In fact, high-ranking Ukrainian officials point out that the internet access restriction incident occurred after the U.S. warned of cutting off intelligence support to Ukraine.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk lent weight to this interpretation by posting on X (formerly Twitter) on this day, stating, "Any restrictions on the speed and usage of the Starshield system (the military version of Starlink) are decided by the U.S. military authorities and, ultimately, the U.S. President."
The U.S. officially maintains the stance that it has never discussed cutting off intelligence support to Ukraine.
However, President Trump has recently continued making remarks that seem to blame Ukraine for the rise in diesel prices, and is known to have repeatedly demanded that Ukraine halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Sources familiar with the matter told the WSJ that relations between the two countries hit rock bottom, particularly starting from the UN General Assembly held in New York in mid-September.
At the time, President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pressed him over Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil facilities, and has reportedly demanded a halt to airstrikes on six subsequent occasions.
As Ukraine and Russia continued exchanging attacks on each other's energy facilities even after that, President Trump's frustration is said to have grown increasingly larger.
The perception is that, from President Trump's perspective, Ukraine is using U.S. support to harm American consumers.
Backlash from Ukraine and Europe is mounting over President Trump's abruptly hardline attitude toward Ukraine.
A high-ranking European official told the WSJ, "European allies are furious, saying that President Trump is handling the peace negotiations in a completely wrong way."
The criticism is that by pressuring Ukraine instead of Russia, President Trump is throwing cold water not only on Europe's sanctions against Russia but also on efforts to broker an end to the war.
Controversy is also anticipated within the United States over this internet access restriction incident.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, told the WSJ, "(The restriction of Starlink access for Ukraine) is a serious issue, and we will do everything we can to resolve it."
He added, "If we cut off aid to Ukraine, there will be consequences," noting that Congress could consider halting funding for federal agencies.
Earlier, Ukraine stated that a sudden speed restriction placed on "Starshield," the military version of the U.S. satellite internet service Starlink, caused disruptions in its war operations.
In an interview with the Financial Times on this day, President Zelenskyy claimed that the Starshield disruption was not a technical issue but an "intentional decision."
Serhii Beskrestnov, a tech advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, claimed on Telegram on this day, "It has been confirmed that last night SpaceX took measures to limit the operating speed of moving Starlink terminals," adding, "This is no coincidence and is linked to the current political situation."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.