Zelenskyy has gone all-in.

Then he added another jab: 'Putin thinks he’s persuasive and trustworthy.' No—he’s just a lousy actor. What does that mean? Trump, Trump—you’ve been played by a lousy actor. Of course, this is Zelenskyy’s unilateral accusation; criticizing Putin is routine for him, but lambasting Trump so harshly is different in nature. Moreover, Trump constantly boasts of his extraordinary intelligence—how could he possibly stay calm after being spoken of like this? The third thing: threatening the U.S. to take concrete action. Indeed, it sounds more like a threat. Zelenskyy explicitly stated that if Ukraine is to halt its strikes, the U.S. must supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles. His exact words were: 'Because when I don’t attack them—as you ask me not to—they’ll attack me. If you give me something for defense, that’s fair. This is the bare minimum I’m asking for.' He also sharply criticized the U.S. response to Ukraine’s request: 'You block Starlink!' Naturally, Starlink’s CEO Elon Musk responded bluntly: 'That’s the government’s decision.' Zelenskyy speculated this wasn’t a technical issue—but a matter of political will. The U.S. was doing it deliberately. 'This is a very serious mistake.' Can Trump accept such threatening language? Yet Zelenskyy appears to have no other choice—the situation is growing unprecedentedly dire. According to CNN, Ukraine has exhausted all its Patriot missiles. As one insider put it: 'Nearly all (Russian) ballistic missiles in the last strike went unintercepted due to the lack of interceptors.' Three power plants in Kyiv were hit; energy infrastructure in Kharkiv was also damaged. Here he comes to the negotiating table holding chips—while his warehouse stands empty. Bargaining with thin air is itself a form of going all-in. Russia’s offensive, meanwhile, has grown increasingly relentless. Zelenskyy claimed that from the previous day until 9 a.m. on the 15th, Russia launched over 850 attack drones. Ukraine’s skies haven’t been clear for a single hour—and 'precisely at a time when our defensive capabilities are artificially slowed down.' Moreover, if he doesn’t loudly say 'no' to Trump now, things may get even worse: 'The question is: When will the next (U.S.–Russia) deal happen? Perhaps it’ll be about natural gas. It certainly will be about natural gas.' Most absurd of all is Europe’s stance. Reports indicate European leaders are urging Zelenskyy to rein himself in—to stop publicly insulting Trump. One European official’s exact words: 'Maybe it’s true—but it doesn’t necessarily need to be said aloud.' In other words: 'Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy—you’re absolutely right, but please shut up.' What is Europe afraid of? That Trump will become utterly enraged. Crucially, U.S. reconnaissance data and satellite intelligence are decisive for Ukraine’s battlefield operations. And let’s not forget: If Trump can arrest Maduro and assassinate Khamenei, why wouldn’t he go after Zelenskyy? Yet the more Europe urges restraint, the more agitated Zelenskyy becomes. In a media interview, he declared: 'Given what happened last week, repairing U.S.–Ukraine relations isn’t up to me. We haven’t damaged any relations.' Taken together, these incidents share one common thread: Zelenskyy is forcing everyone’s hand—using his own methods to compel a reckoning. He’s dropped the pretense. The U.S. told him not to bomb oil refineries—he bombed them anyway. Trump said 'Ukraine needs a new president'—and he replied he won’t resign under pressure.

How should we view Ukrainian officials’ claim on October 14 that Starlink service had been throttled by Elon Musk, causing multiple drone combat missions to be interrupted?

Zelenskyy reacted strongly, calling it a 'weak decision' and saying he felt 'betrayed.' Thus, on October 10, Trump publicly stated: 'Ukraine should get a new president.' He accused President Zelenskyy of ignoring U.S. warnings and attacking Russian oil refineries—causing U.S. diesel prices to rise—and of refusing to end the Russia–Ukraine war. Trump also urged Ukraine to hold a presidential election. So on October 11, Zelenskyy told ABC News in an interview: 'President Trump says Ukraine needs a new president. With all due respect, President Trump, the choice of who leads us should be decided by our society, by our people.' Zelenskyy added that he had informed Trump’s team that Ukraine would hold elections if Russia agreed to a full 60-day ceasefire. Naturally, Russia rejected Zelenskyy’s proposal. Because Russia still holds the upper hand on the battlefield, it refuses to grant Ukraine breathing room—believing Ukraine would use the ceasefire merely as cover to reinforce defenses and replenish ammunition. On Ukraine’s side, drone attacks against Russia—especially against Russian energy infrastructure—have intensified this year, indeed causing Russia considerable trouble. Hence, Russia banned diesel exports this year. On July 8, Putin convened a meeting in Moscow to discuss Russia’s fuel shortage. Afterwards, the Russian government announced a ban on diesel exports by Russian oil companies. The reason? Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian oil refineries. Trump and Putin reached an agreement to resume Russian diesel exports—which required Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russian refineries. That’s how this 'energy ceasefire' came about. However, the U.S.’s move to restrict Ukraine’s use of Starlink has angered Zelenskyy. On October 14, during an interview with the Financial Times, Zelenskyy expressed fury over such 'dangerous measures' as restricting Starlink service, declaring Ukraine would no longer observe its self-imposed ban on strikes against Russian oil facilities. Consequently, on the 15th, Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense signed a cooperation agreement with SpaceX, designating the military version of Starlink as 'Starshield' and providing it to Ukraine and other countries. Starlink has become indispensable to Ukraine’s military operations. On October 14, a Ukrainian presidential advisor posted online that, over the preceding night, SpaceX had throttled the operational Starlink satellite internet terminals—without prior warning to Ukraine—causing multiple missions to be interrupted. Additionally, a former advisor to Ukraine’s Minister of Defense stated that Starlink satellite communications terminals had their operations restricted overnight. According to him, communication began failing once vehicle speed exceeded 160 km/h—hindering Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operations and limiting logistical support. Reportedly, an unnamed Ukrainian officer said: 'They’re restricted—it’s like a nuclear strike. All operations have halted.' In response to Ukraine’s accusations, Musk replied on the 14th, stating that the Starshield satellite communications system used by Ukraine is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and any restrictions on usage speed or purpose are determined by the U.S. military—with final authority resting with the U.S. President.

Zelenskyy Says Starlink Speed Restrictions Look Deliberate

Oct 17, 2026

Zelenskyy claims US-imposed Starlink speed limits in Ukraine are deliberate, coinciding with Trump's waiver of tariffs on Russian energy exports. He warns this undermines defenses against missile strikes targeting power infrastructure.

bloomberg

Zelenskyy Says Starlink Speed Restrictions Look Deliberate

FAQ