Rubio denies White House ordered Starlink restrictions for Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the White House had ordered satellite internet services used by Ukraine to be slowed, responding to Ukrainian claims that the restrictions were deliberate. Speaking to reporters before leaving for Uzbekistan, Rubio said the administration had not instructed anyone to reduce Starlink connectivity, according to Polish broadcasters Polsat News and Interia.

Rubio said he understood that the affected service had been restored, though he did not provide an independent technical account of why the disruption happened. His remarks followed statements from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and officials who said restrictions on satellite terminals had impaired their use on moving vehicles.

Zelensky described the changes as an intentional operation affecting Ukraine's military communications. Ukrainian defence technology adviser Serhii Beskrestnov reportedly said some terminals were disconnecting above particular vehicle speeds. Those accounts describe Ukraine's claims about operational effects; the source material did not independently determine who imposed the technical limits.

Rubio rejected allegations that the White House deliberately ordered such a restriction. He also distinguished the commercial Starlink service from Starshield, a military product contracted to the United States armed forces. He said Ukraine did not currently have access to the American military product and that its request for access was under discussion.

The comments about Starshield conflicted with earlier reporting about US support for military satellite connectivity to Ukraine, including accounts that an arrangement had been developed with SpaceX. Neither the Polish reports nor Rubio's interview resolved how those previous contracts related to the specific terminals and service versions used by Ukrainian units.

Polsat News said Rubio's statements came during a period of disagreement between Kyiv and Washington about weapons, sanctions and satellite capabilities. It reported that Ukrainian officials considered the alleged connectivity restrictions important because some military drone and interception operations depend on satellite links.

US and Ukrainian officials have therefore presented different explanations. Rubio denied government involvement and said service had returned, while Kyiv asserted that technical restrictions persisted. Without a technical audit or confirmation from the service operator covering the equipment involved, neither account can be treated as a verified explanation of the outage.

Rubio's remarks were political and diplomatic responses to concerns about technology used in an active war. They did not announce the cancellation of Ukraine's existing civilian Starlink subscriptions or provide a dated technical schedule for any remaining limitations.