The White House Limited Ukraine’s Access to a Critical Wartime Satellite System: Report
The decision to limit Ukraine’s access to Starshield, the satellite system used by the country for battlefield communications and other wartime operations, came from inside the White House, according to a new report.
Citing people familiar with the matter, Reuters detailed that leaders at the Defense Department got a message saying that the system needed to be slowed down. They did not specify who made the decision or relayed the order.
The development, however, came as Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy continue to clash over continued attacks against energy infrastructure as the war with Russia shows no signs of abating.
Trump has called Kyiv’s decision to resume attacks against Russian refineries a “disgrace.” Zelenskyy, on his end, said the decision was a result of Moscow not abiding by an energy ceasefire declared by Trump during the weekend. “There’s plenty of other targets; they don’t have to hit,” Trump said in an interview on Thursday.
“Zelenskyy is not a good guy for us to deal with” Trump added. “I think they actually both would like to see it end, but I think I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”
Zelenskyy has also taken aim at Trump. In another interview with British commentator Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he felt let down by his dealings with Putin, including a deal to release hundreds of barrels of diesel due to high global prices. Zelenskyy claimed the lifting of sanctions would allow Russia to press on with the invasion.
When asked by Morgan if he felt “betrayed by what was happening,” Zelenskyy said “really, yes.” However, he noted that Ukraine’s relationship with the U.S. mattered more than his personal feelings. “Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump.”
Ukraine is facing a dire situation in other fronts, with a new report claiming that it has run out of Patriot missiles, key to defend the country against Russian attacks.
“Almost all the ballistic missiles from the last strike were not intercepted due to lack of the (interceptor) missiles,” a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeatedly warned that such a scenario would take place if Kyiv didn’t get more supplies soon. He had told the outlet in August that he held “millions” of phone calls with allies to try to get more, but all efforts seem to have failed.
