Bessent says Zelensky should be careful about untrue statements
Scott BessentU.S. treasury secretary
Bessent said Trump and Rubio had categorically denied that anyone in the administration ordered the restrictions, and said Zelensky should be careful about making statements that are not true.
“President Zelensky should be very careful about making statements like this that aren't true”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Who bears responsibility for Ukraine's October 2026 Starshield restrictions?
Elon Musk said the U.S. military and ultimately the president decide Starshield usage and speed limits. Benjamin Dixon argued that SpaceX still bears responsibility as the contractor. Ukrainian officials and U.S. lawmakers criticized the October restrictions and demanded answers about who authorized them.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The Kyiv Independent reports Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's Meet the Press remarks on the sanctions waiver and on Zelensky's account of the Starlink restrictions.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Kristen Welker asked Bessent on Meet the Press about Zelensky's statement that Ukrainian intelligence showed the decision to curb Starlink access came from the U.S. government.
After the quotation
The Kyiv Independent reports that Bessent said Trump and Rubio had "categorically" denied the accusation and called it "reckless" of Zelensky to make such a charge.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is responsibility for the October restrictions on Ukraine's satellite terminals. Bessent rejects Zelensky's account that the U.S. government ordered them.
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More from this case
Read the full caseRubio says no one at the White House ordered the slowdown
“It’s just categorically false. No one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet or slow down speed so that certain drones couldn’t use it.”Read statement
Trump denies ordering the Starshield restrictions
“I didn't do that. No, we didn't do that at all. In fact, I don't even think it was slowed down from what I understood. Because I just checked this morning”Read statement
McFaul blames Trump for Starshield restrictions and defends Zelensky
“our president who, by turning off Starshield, is actively helping Putin kill Ukrainian civilians as a strategy to pressure Zelenskyy”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Bessent says Zelensky should be careful about untrue statements". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6156-bessent-said-trump-and-rubio-had-categorically-denied