One person affects the situation of the war? "Starlink" speed limit controversy highlights Musk's influence on Ukraine war

Ukraine's use of the military version of Starlink, a satellite network owned by SpaceX, has been subject to speed restrictions. The Wall Street Journal quoted sources on the 21st as saying that the speed restrictions were personally ordered by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The incident also highlights a deeper issue: Musk’s personal influence on the war.

The Wall Street Journal quoted U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter as saying that Musk ordered last week to limit the speed of Ukrainian equipment connecting to the military version of Starlink, rendering some attack and interception drones almost useless. A source pointed out that Musk had spoken with senior government officials, including President Trump, beforehand; however, some U.S. officials said that Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump did not explicitly order any retaliatory measures against Ukraine. Both Musk and Trump have expressed anger over Ukraine's attacks on Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks, which Trump has blamed for high fuel prices.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse reported that U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said on the 21st that the decision-making power regarding the use of Starlink in Ukraine lies with SpaceX and Musk, not the White House. "The president has nothing to do with the decisions made by Starlink, StarShield and Musk." How the equipment is used and what speed is allowed are regulated by private commercial contracts. Secretary of Defense (Secretary of War) Pete Hegseth also stated the day before that the Pentagon had not ordered changes to online services. SpaceX did not comment on the matter.

The Wall Street Journal reported that this incident highlights Musk’s sole influence on this war. Starlink provides critical support to the Ukrainian army on the front line. Musk seems to be able to change the direction of a deadly war with just the flip of a switch. Reuters also pointed out that this matter may increase Washington's concerns about Musk's personal ability to influence U.S. foreign policy.

The Ukrainian military relies on the military version of Starlink "Starshield" for battlefield communications, medium-range strikes against Russia and interception drone operations. It also uses the civilian version of "Starlink". Serhii Beskrestnov, Zelensky’s defense technology adviser, recently told the Associated Press in an interview that Starlink is the backbone of Uzbekistan’s drone operations. In many frontline positions, Starlink is also the only channel for officers and soldiers to communicate with their families, and is very important for maintaining troop morale.

He said that Ukraine is currently looking for alternatives and is evaluating the satellite network being built by Amazon and OneWeb owned by Eutelsat. This is not only to prevent future connection loss, but also because the Russian military has deployed electronic warfare system interference in many places on the front line to try to counter Starlink.