U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be careful about claims that the U.S. is behind a Starlink slowdown. Zelenskyy said he believed the U.S. government was responsible, while Elon Musk and Reuters also point to Washington.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Zelenskyy on Sunday to be careful in public statements about U.S. support for Ukraine. The warning followed Zelenskyy's claim that Washington caused a recent restriction of Starlink internet in his country.
Zelenskyy blames the U.S. for the slowdown
Ukraine uses Starshield, the military and government-controlled version of commercial Starlink, to conduct military operations. The restriction hindered the country's ability to respond to Russian assaults.
In an earlier interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Zelenskyy said he believed the U.S. government was responsible for the slowdown. He also said Ukraine was blocked from U.S. intelligence for a period of time, and that Starshield-linked vehicles and drones are still restricted in speed.
Bessent rejects the charge
Bessent answered on the same program. According to Bessent on "Meet the Press": "President Zelenskyy should be very careful about making statements like this that aren’t true." He said President Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio had categorically said no one in the administration did it, and called the charge reckless.
Yet Musk and Reuters give a different account. Musk wrote on X last week that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately POTUS. Reuters reported that the White House ordered the restrictions, but Trump has denied responsibility.
Energy prices and Russia sanctions
Trump has recently expressed frustration over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries as he faces pressure from voters over high gasoline and diesel prices ahead of the midterm elections. The national average for a gallon of gas was nearly $4.30 on Sunday, according to AAA, and diesel was roughly $6.32 per gallon.
Congress recently sent Trump a bipartisan sanctions package aimed at Russia's energy industry. Trump signed it but waived portions of it over the weekend, citing the national interest.
Source: CNBC
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