--- title: "Bessent Rejects Zelenskyy’s Accusations of Starlink Restrictions: ‘Very Irresponsible’" description: "US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rejected Zelenskyy’s accusations of intentionally restricting Starlink, calling them “irresponsible.” According to the minister, Trump and Rubio made no such decisions." date: 2026-10-18T16:01:16.935Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/bessent-rejects-zelenskyy-starlink-restrictions tags: [us-ukraine, starlink, zelensky, bessent, trump-administration, intelligence-sharing] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Bessent Rejects Zelenskyy’s Accusations of Starlink Restrictions: ‘Very Irresponsible’ ![An American official in a suit and tie gesturing actively while speaking](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/bessent-otvet-zelenskomu-ob-ogranichenii-starlink/bessent-otvet-zelenskomu-ob-ogranichenii-starlink-1.webp) ## Key Points - Bessent stated that no one in the Trump administration restricted Starlink operations in Ukraine - The Treasury Secretary called Zelenskyy’s accusations “very irresponsible” - Bessent criticized Zelenskyy’s phrasing about Ukraine’s “victory,” noting that Trump seeks to end the war through negotiations - Earlier, Zelenskyy reported a three-day pause in the US provision of data on Russian ballistic attacks US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has publicly rejected accusations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that US authorities are intentionally restricting the operation of Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine. According to Bessent, neither President Donald Trump nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken any action aimed at reducing speed or degrading the service. The Treasury Secretary called Zelenskyy’s statements “very irresponsible” and urged the Ukrainian leader to be “very careful” with public accusations that, in his estimation, “do not correspond to reality.” ### Context: Zelenskyy’s Statement the Day Before Prior to Bessent’s remarks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a public appeal blaming the US side for the drop in Starlink’s operating speed in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president did not name specific mechanisms or individuals who he claimed carried out the restriction, but directly pointed to US authorities as the source of the problem. It was this statement that triggered a sharp reaction in Washington. ### The Trump Administration’s Stance: “Nobody Did This” In response to a journalist’s question about who exactly might have restricted Starlink if not the US authorities, Bessent stated he knew “nothing about that.” At the same time, he emphasized that the administration's position has been outlined “clearly”: neither Trump, Rubio, nor anyone else in the administration has made decisions to restrict the service. The Treasury Secretary added that Zelenskyy should formulate public statements “very carefully” since, according to him, they lack any factual basis. ### “False Dilemma”: Bessent on Zelenskyy’s Phrasing Separately, Bessent criticized the rhetorical framework in which Zelenskyy, according to the minister, “once again presented a false dilemma”: that Ukraine supposedly “must win the war,” with the alternative being an endless continuation of hostilities. Bessent emphasized that President Trump “seeks to end the war” rather than ensure the victory of one side, and that ending the conflict “implies reaching certain agreements through negotiations.” According to the Treasury Secretary, Trump “has been dealing with this every day” since the beginning of his presidency. ### Earlier: A Pause in Intelligence Sharing Additional context for the tension in the dialogue between the two capitals was Zelenskyy’s statement that the US had failed to provide Ukraine with data on ballistic attacks by Russia for three days. At the same time, the Ukrainian president reported that intelligence sharing between the countries has “finally resumed.” These episodes, along with the discussion surrounding Starlink, form a general backdrop of mutual accusations and attempts by each party to assign responsibility for failures in critical communication infrastructure. ### Significance for Bilateral Relations The public exchange of statements between Kyiv and Washington over Starlink and intelligence data occurs against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations on the format for ending the conflict. For Kyiv, Starlink is a critically important communication channel for military and civilian structures; any disruptions in its operation are perceived as a direct threat to operational security. For Washington, in turn, public accusations by an ally without concrete evidence create diplomatic difficulties and, in Bessent’s assessment, undermine trust between the sides. Future dynamics will depend on whether both parties can move from rhetoric to specific technical and diplomatic mechanisms for resolving failures. ## Accounts differ ### Whether the US restricted Starlink operations in Ukraine - **Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:** US authorities bear responsibility for the drop in Starlink operational speed in Ukraine ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/trampa-oburilisya-zayavi-zelenskogo-obmezhennya-1792338539.html)) - **US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (referencing Trump and Rubio):** No one in the Trump administration made decisions to restrict Starlink; Zelenskyy's accusations do not correspond to reality ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/trampa-oburilisya-zayavi-zelenskogo-obmezhennya-1792338539.html)) *Where they agree:* A drop in Starlink operating speeds in Ukraine took place—Zelenskyy pointed to this, and Bessent does not deny the fact of the disruption itself, but only denies the involvement of the US administration. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [В администрации Трампа возмутились заявлением Зеленского об ограничении работы Starlink](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/trampa-oburilisya-zayavi-zelenskogo-obmezhennya-1792338539.html) - Primary source: Bessent's quotes, context of Zelenskyy's statement, mention of the pause in intelligence sharing. All facts in the article correspond to the source text. - [Верховный суд США позволил администрации Трампа еще сильнее ужесточить миграционную политику](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20260626-%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4-%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BB-%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0-%D0%B5%D1%89%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B5-%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%8E-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D1%83) - Immigration policy topic, unrelated to Starlink or the Ukrainian-American dialogue. Not used in the article. ## FAQ ### What exactly did Bessent state regarding Starlink? Scott Bessent stated that neither President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, nor anyone else in the administration has made decisions to restrict Starlink operations in Ukraine. He called Zelenskyy’s accusations “very irresponsible” and urged him to be more careful with statements that, in his estimation, do not correspond to reality. ### What did Zelenskyy state the day before? Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly blamed US authorities for the drop in Starlink operating speeds in Ukraine. He did not name specific mechanisms or individuals. ### What did Bessent say about the phrasing “Ukraine must win”? Bessent called this a “false dilemma” and emphasized that Trump seeks to end the war through negotiations rather than ensure the victory of one side. According to the minister, Trump has been handling this issue daily since the start of his presidency. ### Were there previous disruptions in intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine? Yes. Zelenskyy reported that the US had not provided Ukraine with data on Russian ballistic attacks for three days. At the same time, he stated that intelligence sharing subsequently resumed.