US NATO envoy says Starlink dispute in Ukraine tied to company terms, not Trump administration policy
- Matt Whitaker rejects suggestions that Trump administration sought to punish Kyiv by restricting access to system
By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said a dispute over the use of Starlink satellite internet services in Ukraine was related to the private company’s terms of use, rejecting suggestions that the Trump administration sought to punish Kyiv by restricting access to the system.
“They are a private company. Obviously they have terms of use that are applied to all of their customers, including the Ukrainians,” Whitaker said in an interview, emphasizing the commercial nature of the disagreement.
“I think it is more of a dispute along those lines than anybody in this administration trying to change how Starshield or Starlink is used,” he added.
Whitaker’s remarks came amid reports suggesting that SpaceX founder Elon Musk was behind a recent restriction on Ukraine's access, hampering its defense against Russian strikes and limiting its own attacks.
He said Washington had neither denied Ukraine access to the system nor sought to use it as a means of retaliation.
Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, has become an important communications lifeline for Kyiv for the Russia-Ukraine war.
Berk Kutay Gökmen