Musk remains opposed to letting Ukraine use Starlink for strikes on Russia despite talks with Fedorov, sources say
Elon Musk has engaged in talks with former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov about allowing Starlink to be used to control drone strikes on Russian territory, but remains opposed after what one source described as "extremely unsuccessful" negotiations. According to sources cited by Kyiv Independent, Musk does not believe that granting such permission would help end the war and wants a deal rather than escalation. The Financial Times, citing Fedorov's account, earlier reported Musk was willing to allow strikes conditional on White House approval — a version of events that, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, prompted Donald Trump to accuse him of "deceiving" him.
Key points
- Musk told Fedorov he could allow Starlink-enabled drone strikes on Russia, but only with White House approval, according to the Financial Times.
- Three sources cited by Kyiv Independent say Musk remains opposed after "extremely unsuccessful" talks with Fedorov.
- Until now, Musk had allowed Ukrainians to use Starlink only on Ukrainian-controlled territory, including Crimea and other Russian-occupied areas.
- Ukraine wants to use Starlink to control drones targeting Russia's mobile ballistic missile launchers.
- Zelensky asked Trump to influence Musk's decision; Trump said he would consider the request and speak to Musk but promised nothing.
- Zelensky said Ukraine's Defence Ministry under Fedorov reported Musk had "given the go-ahead," while Trump reportedly accused Zelensky of "deceiving" him about Musk's position.
- Sources also disagree on who holds decision-making authority: Musk's side said it was the US administration's call; another source said SpaceX was told it was its own decision.
Why it matters
The episode puts a private company at the centre of a wartime decision about a key communications technology: whether Starlink can be used to enable Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory depends on Musk and, by his own account, the White House. It sits at the intersection of US politics, a major commercial space firm, and Ukraine's battlefield capability against mobile missile launchers. The reported Trump accusation that Zelensky "deceived" him also adds a personal dimension to the already strained US-Ukrainian relationship.
What happened
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov held talks with Elon Musk about allowing Starlink to be used to control drone strikes on Russian territory, which Ukraine wants in order to target mobile ballistic missile launchers Russia uses against Ukrainian cities. According to the Financial Times, Musk told Fedorov he could allow it subject to White House approval; according to three sources cited by Kyiv Independent, the talks were "extremely unsuccessful" and Musk remains opposed, on the view that such permission would not help end the war and that he wants a deal rather than escalation. President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the issue with US President Donald Trump, who said he would consider it and speak to Musk but made no commitment. Zelensky later said that, according to Ukraine's Defence Ministry under Fedorov, Musk had "given the go-ahead" — a characterisation Trump reportedly rejected, accusing Zelensky of "deceiving" him. Fedorov did not speak publicly about his conversations with Musk. Sources also diverge on where the decision actually sits: Musk's side said it belonged to the US administration, while another source said SpaceX was told the decision was its own to make.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The two Ukrainian-published sources, Babel and hromadske, lead with the talks between Musk and Fedorov, putting Ukrainian officials at the centre of the story. They foreground the Zelensky-Trump exchange and Trump's reported accusation that Zelensky "deceived" him about Musk's position, and they highlight the gap between the Financial Times' account — that Musk was ready to allow strikes with White House approval — and Kyiv Independent's own sourcing, which says Musk remains opposed.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on Musk's actual position: the Financial Times, citing Fedorov's account, reported Musk was ready to allow Starlink-enabled strikes on Russia conditional on White House approval, while three sources cited by Kyiv Independent say he remains opposed after "extremely unsuccessful" talks and does not believe such permission would help end the war. Zelensky says Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported Musk had "given the go-ahead," whereas Trump reportedly accused Zelensky of "deceiving" him by claiming Musk had agreed to deep strikes into Russia. Sources also differ on who holds the decision: Musk's side said it was the US administration's call, while another source said SpaceX was told the decision was its own to make.
Background
Starlink is a satellite communications system operated by SpaceX, the company Musk heads. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been using Starlink on its own territory, including in Russian-occupied areas such as Crimea, but not for strikes on Russian soil. Russia has deployed mobile ballistic missile launchers against Ukraine, which Kyiv wants to be able to target with drone strikes enabled by Starlink connectivity.