Sources say White House ordered temporary Starshield limits for Ukraine

Summary

Sources cited by The Japan Times say the White House ordered a temporary restriction of Starshield for Ukraine; The Globe and Mail reports that U.S. Defence Department leaders received a message that the system needed to be slowed. The Straits Times and The Japan Times report that the move came as Trump pressured Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries. This follows reports that Ukraine's satellite communications were suddenly restricted and that a Pentagon-funded satellite internet program appeared to be curbed without warning as Russia escalated.

Timeline

1. The Straits Times

   15 Oct 2026, 23:11 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports that sources say the order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside the White House, as Trump pressured Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries.

2. The Globe and Mail

   16 Oct 2026, 00:04 UTCSource ↗

   The Globe and Mail reports that officials said the order to restrict Ukraine's Starshield came from the White House and that U.S. Defence Department leaders received a message that the system needed to be slowed.

3. The Japan Times

   16 Oct 2026, 01:32 UTCSource ↗

   The Japan Times reports that, according to sources, the White House moved to temporarily restrict Starshield for Ukraine as the U.S. president pressured Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries.