During a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked him to negotiate with American businessman Elon Musk for permission to use the Starlink satellite communication system to guide Ukrainian long-range drones to targets on the territory of Russia, The Atlantic reports, citing knowledgeable sources.
"Zelenskyy asked Trump to secure Musk’s permission for the use of Starlink to guide drone strikes inside Russia, according to the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. (A third official confirmed Zelenskyy’s request.) Up to now, Musk has allowed the Ukrainians to use Starlink only on their own territory, including in Crimea and other regions that Russia has occupied. Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, has restricted the use of Starlink inside Russia," the report says.
According to the publication’s sources, Zelenskyy emphasized the need to strike not only major infrastructure facilities, but also mobile ballistic missile launchers that Russia uses to strike Ukrainian cities.
According to the publication, Zelenskyy explained that such a mechanism would become an alternative to the supply of additional interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, whose reserves have significantly decreased.
Currently, as The Atlantic notes, SpaceX allows Ukraine to use Starlink only on its own territory, including temporarily occupied Crimea and other areas occupied by Russia, but limits the system’s operation directly on Russian territory. Because of this, Ukrainian long-range drones use less precise guidance systems, including autonomous navigation using artificial intelligence.
As The Atlantic reports, Zelenskyy also asked for a separate meeting with Musk to discuss this initiative, but the businessman declined the invitation.
According to the publication’s interlocutors, Trump replied that he would consider this request and speak with Musk, but made no commitments and did not name possible timelines for a decision.
The Atlantic notes that, according to one source’s assessment, the US President’s decision will depend on whether he considers the use of Starlink for such operations as a factor that could bring the end of the war closer or, conversely, lead to its escalation.
