Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Getty Images]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Getty Images]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked US President Donald Trump to allow Ukraine to use Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service for strikes on Russian territory, according to reports. Trump did not give an immediate answer.

According to Yonhap and the Associated Press, Zelensky made the direct request during a closed-door meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, July 28, arguing that expanded Starlink access would improve the precision of strikes inside Russia. Trump neither responded immediately nor made any commitment, according to the reports.

Musk currently allows Ukraine to use Starlink on its own territory and in Russian-occupied former Ukrainian regions, but restricts its use over Russian territory. He has been reluctant to extend Starlink support to strikes on Russian soil, reportedly out of concern that SpaceX could face backlash for enabling an escalation of the conflict, as well as due to various legal constraints.

Zelensky had been lobbying the US government for weeks before the meeting to expand the scope of Starlink use.

The request is also part of Ukraine's broader effort to compensate for a shortage of US-made Patriot interceptor missiles, AP noted. The United States has been grappling with a Patriot missile shortage as its war with Iran has effectively stretched beyond five months.

Trump had told Zelensky at the NATO summit in Turkey earlier last month that he would authorize production of Patriot interceptor missiles, but has since appeared to walk back that commitment.

At a Cabinet meeting Friday, Trump said of the question of providing a Patriot production license: "We're discussing it, but it's not easy to hand over that kind of technology. No decision has been made yet."

During his Washington visit, Zelensky also doubled down with US lawmakers on the need to expand Starlink access, secure additional Patriot systems and transfer the technology needed to produce Patriots inside Ukraine. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds said Zelensky explained that "Ukraine needs access to Starlink to improve the accuracy of long- and medium-range weapons systems," adding that Zelensky "made clear that hitting targets precisely is what matters."

Zelensky has been arguing that the Russia-Ukraine war and the US-Iran war are closely intertwined, saying recently that he would present evidence that Russia is helping Iran strike US military bases in the Middle East. The two conflicts appeared to intersect on Saturday, July 25, when Ukraine attacked an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one crew member.

US intelligence agencies believe Iran has been supplying Russia with drones for use in the Ukraine war, and have recently assessed that Russia is preparing to transfer improved drone technology back to Iran, AP reported.


eyre@heraldcorp.com