Bessent warns Zelenskyy to 'be very careful' about claims U.S. is throttling Starlink
Bessent calls claims regarding Starlink slowdowns and intelligence blocking 'reckless' and 'untrue'.
Quick Look
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has cautioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy against making 'reckless' public claims about U.S. support, specifically regarding alleged Starlink slowdowns and restricted intelligence access.
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Why It Matters
Starlink satellite internet is a critical component of Ukraine's defense infrastructure during the ongoing conflict. Tensions have emerged regarding the management and speed of these systems.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "be careful" in public statements about U.S. support for Ukraine.
U.S.-provided Starlink internet recently slowed in Ukraine, hindering the war-torn 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, and that Ukraine was "blocked" from U.S. intelligence for a period of time.
Bessent cautioned Zelenskyy about making those claims.
"President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Marco] Rubio have categorically said that no one under the Trump administration did that, and I think it is very reckless for President Zelenskyy to make such a charge," Bessent said on "Meet the Press."
"President Zelenskyy should be very careful about making statements like this that aren't true," he added.
Starlink, high-speed satellite internet provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX , is critical to Ukraine's defense. Musk himself said in a post on X last week that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump are "ultimately" responsible for any slowdowns to the military version of Starlink known as Starshield — a claim Trump has denied.
"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," Musk wrote. "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."
Open Questions
- What is the technical cause of the Starlink slowdowns?
- Will there be a formal diplomatic resolution to these accusations?







