23 House Members Urge Trump to Ask Musk to Let Ukraine Use Starlink to Target Russian Missile Launchers

Since the slowdown of Ukraine's military Starlink and Starshield service last week, pressure on the White House has moved from complaints to a formal ask. Twenty-three House members, seven Republicans and 16 Democrats, sent President Trump a letter today, Oct. 21, urging him to call Elon Musk and get Ukraine access to SpaceX's network to find missile launchers inside Russia, according to a copy obtained by The Hill.

"With one phone call, you could both save lives and give Vladimir Putin greater incentives to negotiate," the lawmakers wrote.

What the letter asks for

The request goes beyond restoring speeds. Starshield use is currently limited to Ukraine and occupied territories and is not available in Russia. The lawmakers say Kyiv has already petitioned Musk for a carve-out from that restriction.

"But only you can push this matter over the goal line," they told Trump.

The letter frames the ask in simple terms. "If Ukraine cannot reliably intercept Russian 'arrows,' it must be able to shoot the 'archer,'" it says. It also states that "Putin presently has no intention of stopping the bloodshed."

The Republican signers are Reps. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Andy Harris of Maryland and Max Miller of Ohio. Miller represents a heavily Ukrainian district.

Senate pressure builds

The House letter backs a campaign on the Senate side led by Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who led a congressional delegation to Ukraine last week. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican who made that trip, wrote a Washington Post op-ed urging expanded Ukrainian access to Musk's satellites.

Some Republicans have also joined Democrats in calling for an investigation into the throttling of Starlink and Starshield.

Who made the call

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Musk ordered the slowdown. CBS News now reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that the decision was Musk's. Those sources say he held multiple conversations with administration officials beforehand because he wanted clarity on the president's thinking.

The same sources say Musk has expressed distaste at his company being seen as profiting from the continued war. They say it is not clear how the order was carried out. Musk did not reply to a request for comment.

Musk's public position is different. Last week he wrote on X: "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS."

The Pentagon denies it gave any direction. "We haven't pulled anything back. There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Tuesday. "We haven't made any directives or anything like that."

Trump said Monday he did not know who was responsible. "I don't know who it was, but I'd like to find out," he said.

CBS's sources add that the restrictions surprised some officials inside the administration. Those officials said neither Trump nor the Pentagon specifically ordered limits meant to deliberately disrupt drone operations and battlefield communications.

Still throttled

Zelenskyy's office told CBS News today that Ukraine's use of the system remains throttled. The service supports drone operations, strikes on certain targets and the protection of sites in Ukraine. CBS reports there is no working alternative.

Zelenskyy has said the cap prevents the army from intercepting fast Shahed-type drones. He called the situation "painful" in Brussels last week and pointed to lives lost as a result.

The diplomatic backdrop

The letter arrives amid a broader dispute over administration policy. Trump has demanded Ukraine stop striking Russian oil refineries, blaming those attacks for high U.S. diesel prices. Those prices are largely attributed to the war against Iran. The Epoch Times reported the average retail diesel price was $6.28 a gallon as of Oct. 9, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The administration argues that easing restrictions on Russian diesel will add supply and bring prices down. Trump has said the fuel is meant for the world market. Seven senators, four Republicans and three Democrats, said the arrangement runs against a 2022 U.S. ban on Russian energy imports. They also said the administration failed to consult Congress.

John Hardie of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has said the diesel deal would make more sense as part of a mutual energy truce. Russia kept striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure after Trump declared an energy ceasefire.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday that Russia will send its first diesel tanker to the U.S. on Thursday, Oct. 22, carrying 40,000 metric tons. He said additional shipments will follow.

What is unresolved

Trump has not said whether he will make the call the lawmakers want. Musk says the government sets the limits, and the Pentagon says it set none. As of today, Ukraine's military is still operating on a throttled link while no one in the administration has said who ordered the cap or who can lift it.