Ukrainian drones can fly on Starlink over occupied Crimea. Over Russia proper, the connection stops. President Volodymyr Zelensky took that problem to the White House in late July 2026, and according to the Financial Times, reported on Friday, August 21, Donald Trump has turned him down.
The FT, relying on sources close to the discussions, said Zelensky asked Trump in that meeting to lean on Elon Musk, who owns SpaceX and with it Starlink. Mediaite, summarising an earlier report in The Atlantic, said Trump said he would think it over and speak to Musk, but committed to nothing. Per the FT, he never gave it his support.
What Kyiv wanted
The aim was precision. Ukraine wanted its long-range drones to steer by the satellite network and strike Russian military sites more accurately, above all mobile ballistic missile launchers and their support infrastructure within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of the border. Hitting them would blunt Russian missile fire against Kyiv and other cities, and take pressure off Ukraine’s dwindling Patriot interceptors. Zelensky argued, per the Atlantic account, that the launchers had to go before the cold season, when Moscow is expected to hit the energy system harder. Kyiv hoped that keeping to the 200-kilometer belt might make Musk think again.
SpaceX lets Ukraine use Starlink on territory under Ukrainian control and including occupied Crimea, yet blocks it inside Russia. So Ukraine’s long-range drones cross the frontier on other navigation, including AI-assisted systems. Ukrainian officials also floated SpaceX’s military network, Starshield, as a fallback. The Atlantic’s sources said it would cost more and be harder to fit into Ukraine’s existing drone systems.
Musk’s position
The Kyiv Post noted that Musk had earlier limited Starlink for deep attacks on Russia, worried about nuclear escalation. Zelensky also asked to meet him during the Washington visit. The billionaire declined, according to the Atlantic.
Later reporting by the Kyiv Independent, citing three sources, said Musk still opposed the idea despite media reports to the contrary. One source said: “Musk wants a deal in this war, not escalation.” Talks between Musk and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov were described as “extremely unsuccessful.” Musk’s representatives said the decision belonged to the Trump administration, while the administration signaled that SpaceX should decide, a Ukrainian official told the paper.
On August 22, Zelensky said a miscommunication between his Defense Ministry, Musk and Trump had failed to secure access over Russia. Trump, he said, told him “that I kind of tricked him because Musk denied Ukraine the use of Starlink on the territory of Russia.” Zelensky added that Musk had called the idea an escalation, but that talks with the administration continued and that he was getting “more encouraging feedback.”
Musk’s February 2026 decision to cut Russian forces off from the network, by contrast, is credited by the Kyiv Independent with helping Ukraine’s battlefield gains this year.
Sources
- Trump Rejects Push to Give Ukraine Starlink for Long-Range Strikes on Russia – FT (Kyiv Post)
- Zelensky Asks Trump to Press Musk on Starlink Approval for Strikes Inside Russia (Mediaite, citing The Atlantic)
- Exclusive: Musk opposes allowing Ukraine to use Starlink for strikes on Russia (Kyiv Independent via Yahoo)
