Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed on Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assured him the State Department is actively working to reinstate full Starlink connectivity across Ukraine. The ongoing network throttling has severely constrained Kyiv's defensive operations against ongoing Russian military aggression.

Speaking during an appearance on Fox & Friends, Zelenskyy confirmed that connectivity constraints persist throughout the country, noting that Rubio personally committed to resolving the issue and lifting the speed restrictions.

Conflicting Reports Over Decision-Making

According to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday, billionaire Elon Musk ordered the speed caps on Ukrainian Starlink terminals. Unnamed U.S. officials cited by the publication indicated that Musk and President Donald Trump discussed the operational change prior to its implementation.

Conversely, Musk asserted last week that any restrictions on speed or data usage are mandated directly by the U.S. military and President Trump. Meanwhile, Trump stated publicly on Monday that he had no knowledge of who authorized the throttling.

During a press briefing in India on Wednesday, Rubio offered a different perspective, telling journalists that Musk and SpaceX ultimately control Ukraine's access parameters. Rubio added, "I’m not aware that we knew about this decision beforehand."

A previous Reuters report suggested the directive to slow Starlink originated directly within the White House, citing dual unnamed American sources alongside a Western official. However, a senior administration official firmly disputed this claim, stating, "No such request was ever made by the president."

Diplomatic Movements and Infrastructure Tensions

Amid the technological dispute, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly agreed in principle to restart trilateral negotiations involving the United States and Ukraine aimed at halting the conflict. According to the Associated Press, an anonymous Kremlin official noted that these talks are slated to commence following November 10.

The Starlink degradation materialized a week ago as the Trump administration pressured Kyiv to halt drone attacks targeting Russian oil facilities, responding to surging domestic diesel prices in the United States. Zelenskyy emphasized that the restricted bandwidth rendered several Ukrainian offensive and defensive unmanned systems completely non-functional.

Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have escalated following the collapse of a fragile energy ceasefire previously championed by Trump. Shortly after the agreement was announced, Ukraine reported renewed Russian strikes on critical power infrastructure. Zelenskyy remarked at the time, "It was clear that Putin doesn’t read Truth Social," referencing Trump's preferred social media platform.

Having previously lifted specific economic sanctions against Moscow to alleviate rising American fuel costs, Trump recently told reporters, "It’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."