US Senate warns to withhold confirmation of Trump's appointment until Ukraine's Star Shield is not restored

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Ji-heon = The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 24th (local time) that the ruling and opposition parties in the U.S. Senate warned senior White House officials that they would halt congressional confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee until the Ukrainian military properly uses the military satellite communication system 'Starshield'.

The NYT reported this, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

This warning from U.S. lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties came amid restrictions on the use of the military Starlink (Starshield), a key communications network used by the Ukrainian military, since last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in an interview with CNN on the 22nd that the United States has intentionally limited its performance, saying that restrictions on satellite communication capabilities used by the military continue.

The NYT said, “This incident highlighted the widening gap between the White House and Congress over the approach to Russia,” and added, “Even leading Republicans are increasingly showing a willingness to challenge President Trump’s policy positions.”

The newspaper continued, "They are pointing out that their positions may change after the midterm elections. After the midterm elections, there is a possibility that the majority party will shift to the Democratic Party and lawmakers may be more aggressive in using their political leverage and supervisory authority on this issue."

The NYT explained that the U.S. Congress, where the Republican Party currently holds a majority of seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, is expected to push for the confirmation of dozens of people nominated by President Trump before the midterm elections are over on the 3rd of next month and the newly formed Congress is inaugurated in January of next year.

According to opinion polls, it is highly likely that the Democratic Party will regain its majority in the House of Representatives in this midterm election.

From President Trump's perspective, there is a strong incentive to try to advance as much as possible high-ranking appointments that require congressional approval until the new Congress, where the Democratic majority is likely to take office, is inaugurated next year.

Some Republican lawmakers are strongly criticizing President Trump's conciliatory gestures toward Russia, such as suspending the implementation of sanctions against Russia and deciding to purchase Russian diesel.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), who was in charge of counterintelligence work against Russia while working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told the NYT, "I personally do not accept the argument that (communication restrictions) occurred by accident," and warned that he would push for the dismissal of U.S. officials responsible for the communications failure and cut the budget of their agencies.

A senator's aide, who requested anonymity, said the agency is considering whether to investigate Starlink operator Space

Previously, Republican lawmakers, including Thom Tillis (North Carolina), expressed concern in a recent joint statement, saying, "Financing Russia's war machine, neutralizing Ukraine's satellite communications, and paralyzing its air defense network are all obstacles to peace."