Media learned that Zelenskyy asked Trump for permission to use Starlink to destroy ballistic launchers in Russia
During closed-door talks at the White House on 28 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked for Ukraine to be granted permission to use the Starlink system on Russian territory to strike ballistic missile launchers.
As reported by The Atlantic, Kyiv is offering the US a way out of supplying Ukraine with interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, stocks of which have been dramatically depleted by the US's war with Iran. Instead, Ukraine wants to be able to expand its use of another American technology – the Starlink satellite communications network controlled by Elon Musk.
According to two officials speaking on condition of anonymity, Zelenskyy asked Trump to secure Musk's permission for Ukraine to use Starlink to guide drone strikes on Russian territory. A third official confirmed that the Ukrainian president made this request.
So far Musk has only allowed Ukraine to use Starlink on its own territory, including in Crimea and other Russian-occupied oblasts. Musk's company SpaceX has also restricted the use of Starlink on Russian territory.
On 28 July, Zelenskyy explained to Trump that Kyiv needs to be able to hit small, mobile targets on Russian territory such as the ballistic missile batteries Russian forces use to strike cities across Ukraine.
During his visit to the US, Zelenskyy also requested a meeting with Musk to discuss his plan for destroying these launch systems, but according to The Atlantic's source, Musk declined.
The source said Trump told Zelenskyy during the White House meeting that he will consider these requests, but gave no indication as to whether he will ultimately agree to them.
One official said Trump's final decision on Zelenskyy's proposal would likely depend heavily on whether the US president believes it could help bring the war to a swifter end. If he believes that using Starlink would allow Ukraine to force Putin to the negotiating table, Trump may support the proposal. But if he believes it would only escalate the situation, he is likely to withhold support, the official said.
Zelenskyy also pointed out to Trump that Ukraine needs to be able to counter the missile threat before winter, when Russia may again try to cripple the country's energy grid and heating system.
In early July, Trump told Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit that the US would grant Ukraine the right to manufacture Patriot air defence systems.
However, in a recent interview with the Financial Times, Trump said he has not yet decided whether to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.