Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine
A WSJ report claims Elon Musk personally ordered a Starlink slowdown that caught Ukraine off guard, but the sourcing is contested: Reuters says the order came from the White House, The Telegraph says Musk proposed it to Trump, and the WSJ says Musk ordered it. Hacker News commenters debate the implications for national security and accountability.
I wonder in what other country a private individual would be given the power over foreign policy to this extent.
- petetnt
It’s also no mistake that a certain ”flying” car was shown recently, it’s like jangling shiny keys in front of people and the general public, including HN, ate it wholesale.
- flowerlad
This is hugely relevant in India because Musk is trying to force his way into the Indian market [1]. You don't want Musk owning critical infrastructure in any country.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/business/india-elon-musk-...
- afavour
So, Starlink is a national security risk. Worth noting.
Be glad you saw this thread before it is inevitably flagged from the site, despite clearly being relevant.
- jacquesm
I wonder in what other country a private individual would be given the power over foreign policy to this extent.
- cdrnsf
This is easy: issue crippling fines and criminal penalties, nationalize SpaceX and allow Ukraine to go on using it.