Zelensky Accuses Trump of Betrayal as Starlink Limits Hit Ukraine's Defences
Ukraine's president says he feels personally betrayed by Donald Trump after Starlink access was throttled, while Elon Musk insists any restrictions are a US government decision. Overnight Russian strikes on energy facilities have intensified pressure on Kyiv's air defences.
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Donald Trump of choosing the other side in the war, saying he feels personally betrayed by the US president after restrictions were placed on Ukraine's military access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network. The Ukrainian leader made the remark during a visit to London, where he also met King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
The throttling of Starlink access has raised fresh doubts about the durability of American support for Kyiv more than four years into the full-scale war. Ukraine says its battlefield access to the service has improved in recent days but that speed limits are still disrupting military operations. Elon Musk has said any limits on Ukraine's use of Starlink are a decision for the United States government, not his company.
The restrictions carry direct consequences for Ukraine's ability to defend its cities. Starlink is used to coordinate drone strikes and artillery fire, and its throttling is expected to affect Kyiv's air defences more than its long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries. The network has been a critical layer of Ukraine's military communications since the early months of the war, when conventional links were destroyed or jammed.
Overnight, Russia struck energy facilities across Ukraine, including three power plants supplying Kyiv. The attacks appear aimed at cutting heating and electricity to the capital as colder weather sets in. According to Zelensky, no warning of incoming ballistic missiles came from Ukraine's western allies for a second consecutive night, meaning no air raid alert was issued before the strikes.
The lack of advance warning has compounded concerns about the strain on Kyiv's air defences. A newer wave of faster, jet-powered drones is breaking through the capital's stretched defensive network, and civilian casualties had already been rising before the Starlink restrictions took effect. The combination of reduced satellite connectivity and dwindling warning time leaves populated areas more exposed to attack.
Zelensky's accusation against Trump marks a sharp deterioration in a relationship already strained by Washington's agreement to buy diesel from Moscow. The Ukrainian president framed the Starlink limits as evidence that the US administration is aligning itself with Russia's position rather than Kyiv's. The dispute risks undermining the coordination that has underpinned Western military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
The political fallout extends beyond the battlefield. Zelensky's visit to London, where he thanked King Charles for his support, signals a continued effort to shore up European backing as confidence in Washington wavers. For Kyiv's allies in Europe, the Starlink episode raises uncomfortable questions about how much of Ukraine's operational capacity depends on decisions made in the United States.
Musk's insistence that the US government controls the restrictions places the issue squarely in the political domain. It also complicates any assumption that the satellite network will remain available to Ukraine at current levels. For Ukrainian commanders, the practical effect is uncertainty: planning operations around a communications system whose availability can be curtailed by decisions taken outside Kyiv.
With winter approaching and Russia targeting power generation, the stakes are immediate. Electricity and heating supplies to the capital are under threat, air defences are under pressure, and the warning systems that once gave civilians time to reach shelter are faltering. Zelensky's public break with Trump reflects a wider anxiety in Kyiv that the support it has relied on for four years is no longer guaranteed.
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