Zelenskyy accuses SpaceX of lying about Starshield - and says US floated Donbas-for-Nato deal

Key Points:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused SpaceX of misleading Ukraine about imposed speed restrictions on its Starshield satellite system, which limit Ukrainian drones to 161 km/h and impair their ability to intercept Russian Shahed drones and conduct strikes.
• Zelenskyy suggested the restrictions are political rather than technical, suspecting a US tactic to pressure Ukraine into concessions to Russia, especially given the timing around recent US-brokered talks and a similar issue last month.
• He firmly rejected Russian demands for Ukraine to cede the Donbas region and dismissed Putin’s proposed humanitarian ceasefire in Kostiantynivka as a pretext for Russian occupation, while proposing ceasefires in other southern occupied areas, which Russia rejected.
• Zelenskyy criticized Russia’s calls to revert NATO to its 1997 borders as imperialistic and alarming, emphasizing Ukraine’s need for meaningful security guarantees and support from Western partners, including ammunition and energy aid from European allies.
• US envoy Jared Kushner stated the US is focusing on facilitating direct dialogue between Russia and European nations regarding the Ukraine conflict, following recent meetings involving Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv.