--- title: "Trump Directed Kyiv to Musk: Starlink Strikes on Russia Require the Billionaire's Permission" description: "Trump stated that Ukraine needs to talk to Elon Musk in order to use Starlink for strikes on Russia. This was reported by an anonymous Ukrainian official after a meeting with the US president at the UN General Assembly." date: 2026-09-23T02:40:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-directs-kyiv-to-musk-over-starlink-strikes-on-russia tags: [trump, starlink, elon-musk, ukraine, russia, un, diplomacy] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump Directed Kyiv to Musk: Starlink Strikes on Russia Require the Billionaire's Permission ![Donald Trump against a blue backdrop: decision on Starlink strikes on Russia handed to Musk's level](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/trump-starlink-udary-po-rossii/trump-starlink-udary-po-rossii-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Trump, according to an anonymous Ukrainian official, told Kyiv that the question of using Starlink for strikes on Russia needs to be discussed with Elon Musk. - The Zelenskyy–Trump meeting at the UN General Assembly, per the same source, went positively; Kyiv confirmed its readiness for an energy ceasefire with Russia. - A number of outlets (FT, UNIAN, ITC) report that Ukraine is already appealing to Musk with a request to allow strikes on Russian missile systems, and that Musk is reportedly ready to grant permission with a caveat. - On the night of September 23, Ukrainian negotiators will meet with E3 representatives to discuss de-escalation and prepare proposals for Witkoff and Kushner. According to an anonymous Ukrainian official who attended the bilateral meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly, Kyiv raised the question of whether Starlink terminals could be used to strike targets on Russian territory. In response, the source relayed, Trump reportedly limited himself to the phrase "You need to talk to Elon about that," thereby redirecting the Ukrainian side to the founder and head of Starlink, Elon Musk. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a post by NEWSMAX journalist Nana Sadjadpour on the social network X. ### Context of the Zelenskyy–Trump Meeting The same source emphasized that the bilateral meeting between the Ukrainian president and the American leader went "very well" and "was very positive." The Ukrainian side, he said, confirmed its readiness for an energy ceasefire with Russia. This statement is important for understanding the overall tone of the negotiations: against the backdrop of discussing de-escalation steps, Kyiv simultaneously raised the topic of expanding the possibilities for striking Russian targets using Starlink's satellite infrastructure. ### Who Is Addressing Whom: The Version About a Request to Musk Meanwhile, a number of outlets, citing the Financial Times, report that it is Ukraine that is appealing to Musk with a request to allow the use of Starlink for strikes on Russian missile systems. Thus, two close but not identical formulations are circulating in the public domain at the same time: in one, the emphasis is on Trump having "directed" Kyiv to Musk during the meeting, while in the other, Kyiv is already in direct dialogue with the billionaire and, according to ITC, he is reportedly ready to grant permission, with a certain caveat. Both versions converge on one point: the key decision on allowing satellite terminals for combat use rests with Musk, not with Washington or Kyiv. ### Contradictory Data Differences in how the facts are presented across sources deserve separate attention. RBC-Ukraine and the NEWSMAX post describe the situation as Trump's reaction to Ukraine's request during the meeting with Zelenskyy: under this version, the US president merely indicated with whom the negotiations should be conducted. At the same time, UNIAN and gazeta.ua, relying on the FT, paint a picture in which Ukraine is already directly asking Musk to allow strikes on Russian missile systems, while ITC.ua adds that Musk is "ready to grant permission, but there is a nuance." Thus, the inconsistency lies in what exact stage the process is at — whether it is the stage of Trump's redirection or the stage of ongoing direct negotiations with Musk — as well as in how far the billionaire's consent has gone. Neither version refutes the other, but neither is confirmed by a primary statement from Musk himself or an official White House representative. ### Negotiations with the E3 and Further Dynamics NEWSMAX also confirms that on the night of September 23, Kyiv time, Ukrainian negotiators will meet with representatives of the E3 "troika" — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — to discuss de-escalation measures and prepare proposals for Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to the source, after this the Ukrainian side intends to "talk with the Russian side." This indicates that the Starlink issue fits into a broader diplomatic cycle linking Kyiv, Washington, the European "troika," and Moscow. ### Verification Limitations It is important to note that the central claim about Trump's reaction relies on an anonymous source and a retelling of a journalist's social media post, rather than on a direct public statement by the US president or an official White House announcement. Similarly, information about Musk's readiness to grant permission is not supported by his own statement. Therefore, the account below reflects the aggregate of media reports with caveats regarding the degree of their verification. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Trump Told Ukraine Who to Talk to in Order to Use Starlink for Strikes on Russia](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tramp-skazav-kim-pogovoriti-ukrayini-shchob-1790131052.html) - Передаёт слова анонимного украинского чиновника о реакции Трампа («поговорите с Илоном») и позитивном тоне встречи; опирается на пост NEWSMAX. - [Strikes on Russia Using Starlink: Musk Ready to Grant Permission, but There Is a Nuance](https://itc.ua/news/udary-po-rf-s-pomoshhyu-starlink-mask-gotov-dat-razreshenye-no-est-nyuans/) - Добавляет версию о готовности Маска дать разрешение с оговоркой; не содержит первичного заявления Маска. - [Ukraine Asks Musk for Starlink for Strikes on Russian Missile Systems](https://www.unian.net/war/starlink-ukraina-prosit-maska-razreshit-udary-po-rossiyskim-raketnym-ustanovkam-13476165.html) - Сообщает о прямом обращении Украины к Маску с просьбой разрешить удары по ракетным установкам РФ. - [Ukraine Asks Musk for Starlink for Strikes on Russian Missile Systems - FT](https://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/politics/_ukraina-prosit-u-maska-starlink-dlya-udarov-po-raketnym-ustanovkam-rossii-ft/1257034) - Ссылается на Financial Times; подтверждает линию о просьбе Киева к Маску, согласуется с UNIAN. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did Trump say about Starlink? **A:** According to an anonymous Ukrainian official, Trump replied that Ukraine needs to "talk to Elon about that," i.e., with Elon Musk, the head of Starlink. No direct public statement by Trump on this matter is cited. ### Q: Where and when was this statement made? **A:** At the bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump within the framework of the UN General Assembly; the source points to the evening/night of September 23, Kyiv time, in the context of subsequent negotiations. ### Q: Is Ukraine ready for a ceasefire? **A:** According to the same anonymous source, the Ukrainian side confirmed its readiness for an energy ceasefire with Russia, and the meeting went "very positively." ### Q: What will happen next in the negotiations? **A:** Ukrainian negotiators will meet with E3 representatives (France, Germany, Britain) to discuss de-escalation and prepare proposals for Trump's envoys Witkoff and Kushner, after which, according to the source, they intend to talk with the Russian side.