Zelensky Says He Feels 'Betrayed' by Trump Over Starshield Speed Cap; GOP Rep. Fitzpatrick Threatens Agency Funding

Since Ukraine reported a sudden speed cap on military-grade Starshield terminals overnight into Wednesday, Oct. 14, the dispute has moved from a technical outage to a political fight in Kyiv, London and Washington.

Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in London, was asked in a TV interview whether he felt betrayed by Donald Trump. "Really, yes … but it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings," he said. "It's a pity that we are losing a strong partner."

In a separate interview with Piers Morgan, Zelensky said: "I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States." He added: "This decision will bring a lot of human losses … of course, people will die." Those are Zelensky's claims. Nobody in the U.S. government has confirmed that Washington ordered the restriction.

What the cap does

Ukraine's military reported that Starshield-equipped terminals stopped working at speeds above 100 mph. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelensky on defense technology, said the change was not communicated to Ukrainian forces and "resulted in the disruption of several missions."

Beskrestnov also said the cap hits the interceptor drones Ukraine uses against Russia's jet-powered Shahed-type attack drones. "With their actions, our partners are depriving us of one of the few chances we have to defend the country," he wrote. He called the change politically motivated but offered no evidence.

A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Ukraine got no advance warning. The source said Ukraine's service is contracted through the U.S. government until May 15, 2027.

Fedorov, Ukraine's former defense minister, said connectivity at speeds up to 160 km/h is being restored. He said removing the limit entirely is "now critical for Ukraine's defense."

Washington's response

In the early hours of Wednesday, Ukraine's top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, sent U.S. lawmakers a message warning that the restriction would give Russia an advantage. He said he did not know the cause.

By morning, other Ukrainian officials suspected Trump had ordered Musk to throttle access. That suspicion has not been confirmed.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican in a tight re-election race, told The Wall Street Journal that Congress would act if the U.S. government turns out to have imposed the limits. "If we start going dark on Ukraine there will be consequences, mark my words," he said. Asked what he meant, he said agencies responsible could lose funding. "Agencies won't get funding if they're not doing their jobs."

SpaceX declined to comment. Musk posted on X that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." He did not mention Ukraine. He also did not say whether Trump, War Secretary Pete Hegseth or anyone else authorized this limit.

The White House declined to answer questions on Starlink. Its statement said "the President and his team remain committed to continuing to play a constructive role in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and he remains optimistic that we'll ultimately get a peace deal done."

The wider rift

The cap landed in a week of friction. Trump has offered to buy Russian diesel, demanded that Zelensky step down, and declared an energy ceasefire that Moscow almost immediately violated, according to the Journal.

Top European and Ukrainian officials told the Journal that Washington had warned Kyiv it could cut intelligence support or military sales. U.S. officials deny any such threats were made. Trump said Tuesday: "We are helping them, and we are sharing intel."

Trump has demanded that Ukraine stop hitting Russian oil refineries, which he blames for high diesel prices. Most analysts say the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Israel attack on Iran has had a far larger effect on global energy prices, the Guardian reported.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski challenged Musk directly on X: "Hey, @elonmusk, big man, are you playing politics with your products again? As your European customers, we are watching you." Poland has said it pays for Ukraine's Starlink subscription. Musk did not immediately respond to that post.

Musk also drew a line between Starshield and the commercial Starlink network, which he said cannot be used for offensive military operations. Days earlier he wrote on X that Zelensky had "gone too far" with strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

In London, Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Zelensky at Downing Street. Burnham had told MPs that Zelensky "would not leave empty-handed" and that he had asked officials to draw up further sanctions and other options.

What is unresolved

It is unclear who set the limit, and why. Musk points to the military and the president. The White House has not said whether the president was involved.

Kyiv's demand is specific: lift the Starshield speed limit entirely. Whether Congress follows through on Fitzpatrick's funding threat may depend on the answer.