Hegseth denies a U.S. role and points to Starlink's terms of service
Pete HegsethU.S. defense secretary
Hegseth says the United States has not pulled back Ukraine's access. He says terms of service must be complied with and that Starlink can make those decisions.
“We haven't pulled anything back. There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to, and that's where Starlink has the option to make those decisions”
Reporting
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 Independent summarizes a Wall Street Journal report that Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected, and quotes Hegseth saying the U.S. had not pulled anything back.
Reporting
About this source
AP collects public remarks by Trump, Vance, Rubio, Hegseth, Musk and Zelenskyy about who ordered the Starshield restrictions and whether they have been lifted.
Before the quotation
Reporters ask Hegseth about Ukraine's access to Starshield, the military version of Starlink.
After the quotation
He adds that nothing has changed from the department's view and that it has issued no directives.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
He denies that the U.S. government restricted Ukraine's access and places the decision with Starlink.
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- Hegseth denies a U.S. role and points to Starlink's terms of service
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The Dispute Index. "Hegseth denies a U.S. role and points to Starlink's terms of service". First published: 2026-10-26. Last updated: 2026-10-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/6854-hegseth-says-the-united-states-has-not-pulled