Trump says 'it doesn't matter' who throttled Ukraine's Starshield system and reveals Musk has 'put it back on'

The Starshield military communications system is 'back' on in Ukraine, Donald Trump revealed on Thursday.

The US president added that it 'doesn't make any difference' who throttled the satellite service in the first place, which Kyiv uses for its battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russia-occupied territory, and its interceptor drones.

It comes after the Wall Street Journal reported the US president asked tech billionaire Elon Musk to restore the vital service.

'I don't want to comment on it, you know, whether I called or whether somebody else called - doesn't make any difference,' Trump told journalists when asked about the report.

'I guess the bottom line, he put it back,' Trump said, referring to Musk.

The Journal reported earlier this week that Musk had capped the speed at which Ukrainian equipment could connect to the system, making some of Kyiv's drones useless.

Musk had previously said that 'any limits on speed or usage' of Starshield systems - which are operated by his SpaceX company - were 'decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,' referring to Trump.

But Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the Pentagon had not directed any changes to Starshield, and Trump said last week he did not do so either.

The Starshield military communications system is 'back' on in Ukraine, Donald Trump revealed on Thursday

The Wall Street Journal reported the US president asked tech billionaire Elon Musk to restore the service in Ukraine

Ukrainian firefighters work at the site of a shopping centre damaged following a missile strike in Kyiv on October 22, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine uses Starshield, Starlink's military-grade satellite service, as well as SpaceX's parallel Starlink civilian satellite system.

Restricting the satellite service hampered the country's attack and air defence drone missions against Moscow.

The Starlink system was working more normally on Thursday, shortly after the Trump-Musk conversation, the Journal reported earlier, citing US and Ukrainian ​officials.

Some Ukrainian officials told the newspaper the system had not been restored to full functionality but was ​working at higher speeds than under the cap.

Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Thursday that speed on Starlink ‌systems had ⁠not been restored for Ukraine, adding that he hoped for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the coming days. 

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have been increasingly tense in recent days, with Trump calling for the Ukrainian president to be replaced after he criticised a US deal allowing more Russian diesel into global markets.

Russia pounded Kyiv with ballistic missiles and Ukraine sent hundreds of drones towards Moscow on Thursday, as the warring sides kept up a barrage of attacks despite the latest US ⁠push to ​end the conflict.

Putin has said that future talks on a settlement of the war in Ukraine should focus on security guarantees for ​both countries and an overall framework for security throughout Europe.

Putin, interviewed on Russian ‌television a day after meeting US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, confirmed that Russia was ready to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine next month.

He restated longstanding Kremlin policy that Russia never wanted to launch a war, but ​had run into hostile reactions from Ukraine on key issues of concern to ​Moscow.

Talks on a variety of matters could lead to a positive outcome, ⁠he said, but Russia remained intent on a solution ending the conflict rather than a short-lived ceasefire.

'The ​goal of these talks will be to ensure the security of Ukraine and Russia after reaching ​peace agreements, in their final form, not as a result of a temporary ceasefire for some short period of time. We are ready to resume these contacts to achieve this goal,' Putin said.

The Russian president ​said Witkoff also stressed that discussions had to extend to 'the architecture of European security as ​a whole. And I agree with that too. Well, let's see how things develop in the coming days.'

Zelensky, who met Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, said Ukraine was ready for talks likely to take place by early next month. Ukraine, he said, supported 'any proposals for a ceasefire, an end to the war, an energy ceasefire as well as humanitarian initiatives'.

Efforts headed by the United ​States to pursue talks ​stalled in February ⁠with the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Many of the Ukraine war issues focus on territory, with Russia demanding Ukraine cede all of eastern Ukraine's Donbas ​region. 

Kyiv rejects any notion of giving up land it currently holds.

In ​his comments, ⁠Putin said any discussion on territory in eastern Ukraine had to consider what he said was the fact that the area was 'historically Russian land'.

And residents there, he said, had voted to be a part ⁠of Russia ​in referendums staged seven months after Moscow launched its ​invasion.

'Firstly, my attitude on this matter is that this is not their territory. It’s the territory of historical Russia,' ​he said.

The Russian military hit the port of Vilkovo in the Odesa region in Ukraine, a railcar depot in the Poltava region and a cargo vessel in the Black Sea, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram on Friday, adding that all were used for military purposes. 

Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, said that a Russian attack hit one of its thermal power plants, which has halted operations due to significant damage.