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Donald Trump is asking Elon Musk to "restart" Starlink for Ukraine. The US president has specifically asked the tycoon to restore the service, which is crucial to Kiev's military operations in the war against Russia. Trump, as the Wall Street Journal reports, called SpaceX's top executive to request immediate action.
According to information provided by American and Ukrainian officials, after the conversation between the two, the system resumed full operation. "My relationship with Elon is excellent. Did I call him? I don't want to talk about it. I called, someone else called... The fact is, he turned it back on," Trump said in response to questions from reporters at the White House.
In recent days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had denounced the more than suspicious slowdown of the Starshield system, the military version of Musk's satellite network.
The halt had effectively neutralized offensive drone operations, preventing Kiev from striking deep into Russian territory. Musk responded by questioning the White House's decision-making power, and the president's in particular. Trump, however, denied direct responsibility. Now, the conversation between the president and the multi-billionaire appears set to close the case—at least for now.
A glimmer of calm has returned to relations between Kiev and Washington, which have been strained by the Trump-Putin tension, confirmed by the agreement to supply Russian diesel to the US and the lifting of American sanctions against Moscow.
Zelensky, in an interview with CNN, stated that there was nothing personal against Trump. But, the Ukrainian president explained, "currying Vladimir Putin's good graces only makes the Russian president stronger."
Trump, he added, "has been on the wrong side of history" with the announcement of the agreement to purchase Russian fuel. The conflict "is not a clash of personalities. But my opinion of Putin is very clear. If we lift sanctions, we make him stronger. There is nothing personal between me and President Trump; I am simply against lifting sanctions," he clarified. In recent hours, the possibility of a resumption of dialogue has gained traction, with the prospect of trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi. "Trump can bring Putin to the negotiating table very easily. Just as President Trump talks about me, he should adopt the same kind of rhetoric towards Putin," Zelensky said in another interview, with Steven Bartlett's The Diary of a CEO.
Europe is also working to play a role in the potential negotiating process. European governments are becoming convinced they must soon appoint a partner for direct negotiations with Putin on a peace agreement for Ukraine, although the question of who is best suited to take on such a risky task remains open, according to the framework outlined by Politico Europe, which draws on information provided by anonymous EU diplomats, politicians, and experts.
The issue gained urgency after the US president's envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Russia to propose a three-way summit with Trump and Zelensky to Putin, in an attempt to push for a ceasefire. In recent days, Trump has irritated Kiev and his European allies by speaking directly with Putin, ignoring them and appearing increasingly willing to take Moscow's "favorite" positions in the war, another factor that has reignited the debate in the EU over the need to establish a direct line of communication with the Kremlin.
"President Putin disregards the EU as an authority," Czech President Petr Pavel emphasized in an interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters' Network, which includes Politico: "He doesn't want to talk to Ursula von der Leyen, he doesn't talk to Kaja Kallas, he has stopped talking to other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron." Pavel believed the EU should "identify a person or group of people who speak for Europe," not necessarily representatives of the EU or NATO, but leaders with a mandate from others.
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