Ukraine war: Elon Musk’s control over Starlink raises democratic concerns

Musk initially provided Starlink access to Ukraine two days after Russia’s 2022 invasion, a move that quickly became crucial for Ukrainian military communications. By fall 2022, the U.S., Poland, and other nations were covering approximately 85% of the terminals’ costs and 30% of the connectivity. However, Musk soon began making decisions affecting battlefield operations, including refusing to extend coverage to Crimea in September 2022 due to concerns about escalation and later restricting coverage during the Kherson counteroffensive.

SpaceX introduced Starshield in September 2023, a more secure version of Starlink designed for military use. Around October 10 of this year, reports surfaced that Trump requested Ukraine cease striking Russian oil refineries, prompting Musk to state that “Zelensky has gone too far.” Subsequently, on October 13, Ukrainian drones experienced connection losses, some falling from the sky, reportedly due to speed caps imposed on the service.

The situation triggered a blame game, with Musk suggesting the U.S. government controlled Starshield, the White House claiming responsibility for the restrictions, and Kyiv asserting they were informed of the same. The Wall Street Journal reported Musk himself ordered the slowdown, citing a conversation between Musk and Trump. Trump denies the White House’s involvement, stating, “It wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also distanced the administration from the decision.

On October 22, the WSJ reported Trump again contacted Musk to lift the restrictions, which he reportedly did. Ukraine’s drone speeds were restored on October 24, and Musk subsequently claimed Ukraine had violated Starlink’s terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes. SpaceX also asserted that changes were made to Starlink, not Starshield, to address offensive operations and align with U.S. government priorities.

This incident highlights a broader problem: the delegation of crucial functions of sovereignty to a private corporation controlled by an unelected individual. Musk’s involvement allows officials to avoid accountability and undermines the constitutional authority of Congress and the president in matters of war and foreign affairs. Musk has reportedly received requests from both the Trump and Biden administrations to control Starlink in other conflicts, including a reported request from Putin not to activate Starlink over Taiwan in 2024. The Philippine Coast Guard also alleges intermittent Starlink outages near Scarborough Shoal, attributed to Chinese jamming, which Beijing denies.