President Trump asked Elon Musk to ease or lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military satellite communications counterpart, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials. Trump was frustrated that service speeds remained capped at about 100 miles per hour, and access operated more normally after their conversation, although U.S. and Ukrainian officials said it had not fully regained functionality. Some Ukrainian officials reported speeds above the cap. The episode produced conflicting accounts over responsibility: Trump initially said neither he nor Musk was responsible, while Musk later said only President Trump could order a slowdown and that Starshield was owned and operated by the U.S. government. The Journal subsequently reported that Musk ordered the slowdown, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, prompting calls for an investigation from several Democrats. SpaceX investor Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawaski, called the decision strategically and humanely unacceptable and said Starlink was not reliable for national security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the slowdown had nothing to do with the White House and that SpaceX could make decisions under its terms of service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the action a big mistake and said a discussion with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Starlink and Starshield was constructive. Ukraine uses the services for battlefield communications, drone operations, air defense and attacks against Russian forces.