SpaceX founder Elon Musk personally ordered restrictions on the operation of the Starshield satellite system, which is used for Ukraine's military needs. According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, the billionaire may have discussed the decision with U.S. President Donald Trump, UNN reports.
Details
The publication's sources claim that Musk's order caused "panic in Kyiv" and confusion among representatives of the U.S. president's administration.
After information about the restrictions became public, SpaceX representatives contacted the White House. The parties attempted to coordinate a statement saying that the company and the Trump administration had coordinated their actions.
Did Trump know about Musk's decision?
According to two WSJ sources, shortly after the information became public, Musk and Trump discussed the situation by phone. One of the newspaper's sources claims that the conversation took place before the restrictions were introduced.
At the same time, some U.S. officials insist that Musk made the decision independently and that Trump did not issue any specific orders regarding the operation of the satellite system.
Another source familiar with the situation said that before the restrictions were introduced, Musk contacted several senior officials in the U.S. administration, including the president.
Starshield is SpaceX's military satellite technology division, created for defense and intelligence needs. At the same time, WSJ sources did not specify how extensive the restrictions were or exactly how they affected the capabilities of the Ukrainian military.