The decision, according to the newspaper, caused "panic in Kyiv" and "confusion inside the Trump administration." The Telegraph was first to report the restrictions; its sources said Musk proposed slowing Starshield to Trump and that Trump backed the idea.
The Journal describes it differently: some officials say Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump gave no direct orders. Another source familiar with the situation said that before the restrictions were imposed, Musk consulted several senior administration officials, including the U.S. president. According to two people cited by the newspaper, Musk and Trump discussed the situation by phone shortly after news of the restrictions became public; one source said the conversation took place before the decision.
On October 14, Ukrainian military personnel reported disruptions to Starshield terminals. According to Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the restrictions hampered drone systems and logistics, and by October 15 the ministry said communications in the field had been restored.
On October 19, Volodymyr Zelensky said Starshield stops working at speeds of 130–161 km/h. According to him, the disruptions limit both the use of Ukrainian drones and the interception of Russian UAVs. Two days earlier he said Ukraine was facing problems repelling drone attacks because of the Starlink slowdown, and that U.S. officials attributed it to technical reasons.
Musk wrote on X that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and that decisions on restrictions are made by the U.S. armed forces and ultimately the president. On October 19, Trump told reporters he had not ordered restrictions on the system and did not know who might have done so, but would like to find out.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 17 that no one in the White House had given instructions to slow the internet or reduce data transmission speeds. He acknowledged technical problems with Starlink but said access had already been restored.
According to the Journal, amid the scandal SpaceX representatives contacted the White House to coordinate a statement that the company and the administration had coordinated actions before Musk's decision.
Starshield was created with financial participation from the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. SpaceX describes it as a secure system for government customers, designed for national security purposes. In 2022, Musk blocked Starlink to prevent a strike on Crimea; he later explained this by concern that Russia might use nuclear weapons.
Sources disagree: The Telegraph, citing four sources, reports that Musk proposed limiting Starlink speeds to Trump and that Trump agreed. The Journal writes that some U.S. officials describe it as Musk's sole decision, and that Trump gave no direct orders.