The USA resumed intelligence sharing on Russian missile launches with Ukraine - Zelensky
The United States has resumed sharing intelligence on incoming Russian ballistic missiles with Ukraine after a pause of several days, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with NBC News published October 18. Zelensky said Ukraine had received no such warnings during three days of Russian ballistic missile attacks but confirmed that intelligence sharing had since resumed. He thanked Washington, saying the arrangement was working again.
However, Zelensky said restrictions remained in place on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. Asked whether U.S. President Donald Trump or SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had personally ordered the restrictions, Zelensky said he did not know but believed both were involved. He added that Trump could restore the service to its previous capabilities by lifting the limits.
The intelligence disruption followed a Russian missile attack on Kyiv on Oct. 12, when five S-400 missiles struck the capital and air raid alerts sounded only after the explosions. A Ukrainian official said Kyiv had contacted U.S. counterparts for an explanation. The episode came amid wider tensions over Washington’s support for Ukraine, including reports that the Trump administration had threatened to restrict intelligence sharing as part of pressure on Kyiv over its attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Zelensky warned that if Washington aligned itself with Moscow against Ukraine, the consequences would be severe for both countries. He called such a shift a historic mistake and said Ukraine would struggle to defend itself against Russia if the two powers worked together. Despite the tensions, he said he remained open to talks with U.S. officials and hoped a meeting could take place on Oct. 20 or 21.
The Ukrainian president also addressed calls for wartime elections, saying Ukraine would need an unconditional 60-day ceasefire to change its laws, prepare election infrastructure, and allow soldiers to vote. Zelenskyy denied opposing elections and said he would run for another term if a vote were held during the war.
US - Ukraine tensions: Treasury Secretary warned Zelensky to be very careful what he says about Starlink
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claims in his interview with NBC NEWS on October 18, for suggesting that Washington had pressured SpaceX to restrict Starlink and Starshield services in Ukraine. Speaking to NBC News, Bessent called the allegation “very reckless” and said President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had denied that anyone in the administration had ordered such restrictions.
“President Trump and Secretary Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that, and I think it is very reckless for President Zelensky to make such a charge,” Bessent said.
Asked why Starlink’s performance had deteriorated, Bessent said he had no information about the issue. He also warned Zelenskyy against making claims he said were untrue, further highlighting tensions between Kyiv and Washington over U.S. support and satellite communications for Ukraine’s military.
Marco Rubio says Trump's Russian oil sanctions waiver is a '60-day pause,' and denied restricting Starlink access
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s temporary waiver of sanctions on Russian oil sales on Oct. 18, saying the administration needed time to assess the effects of sanctions and tariffs on the global economy. With energy prices elevated amid the U.S. war with Iran, Rubio said Washington would use the 60-day period to determine the right approach.
“I think the President wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy,” Rubio told reporters. The decision has drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that easing restrictions could benefit Moscow and help Russia continue its war against Ukraine.
Rubio also denied reports that the White House had ordered restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX. The system is critical to Ukrainian military communications and drone operations, including interceptors used against Russian attack drones. Ukrainian forces began experiencing connectivity problems on Oct. 14, and Zelenskyy has said a speed limit remains in place despite service stabilization.
“No one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet or slow down speed so that certain drones couldn’t use it,” Rubio said, calling reports of White House involvement “categorically false.” He also questioned Zelensky’s account, saying the disruption was not deliberate and that the U.S. government had nothing to do with it.
The explanations have not resolved questions about the cause of the Starlink problems. Reuters reported that an order to restrict the military service came from within the White House, while the Telegraph reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had approached Trump about limiting speeds for Ukrainian forces. U.S. officials have denied that the administration ordered the restrictions.