Streeting confirms Ukraine's Starlink access is restored after Pentagon talks with Hegseth
Elon Musk (left) with Donald Trump, US President, whose backing of Musk's broader position included saying Zelensky "could have ended the conflict many times" but prefers not to.Musk's post on X, made in the early hours of Thursday, came amid a deepening row over Starlink restrictions that Ukraine says are aiding Russian military operations.A fireball rises from the Yanos refinery near Yaroslavl during a Ukrainian drone strike in September, as Trump's recent diesel supply deal with Russia — lifting some sanctions — deepens the rift between Washington and Kyiv.Volodymyr Zelensky told Piers Morgan Ukraine was "not selling our country — it's our lives, our home, our children" before Elon Musk demanded his resignation.
Ukraine's Starlink satellite service has been restored, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed after meeting US counterpart Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Thursday. Streeting said he and Hegseth "welcomed" the restoration but offered no explanation for why the outage had occurred. He quoted Saint Francis of Assisi to Hegseth — "where there is discord, may we bring harmony" — framing Britain's role as bridge-builder between Washington and Kyiv.
On Wednesday, SpaceX cut Starlink access, with Ukraine's attack and air-defence drone missions suffering as US-Ukraine relations worsened.
Streeting urged the US not to abandon Ukraine, calling it 'not a choice between values and self-interest' — and a future business opportunity for America.
Zelensky had said he felt 'betrayed' after Trump bought Russian diesel, handing the Kremlin a financial lifeline at a critical moment.
