What are the consequences of the new American card to pressure Zelensky / Starlink restrictions for the Ukrainian army?

Reuters, quoting informed officials, reported that the order to limit the Starlink military service used by the Ukrainian army was issued from within the White House.

At the same time as the tensions between Washington and Kiev increased, Reuters reported that the order to limit the use of the Starlink military service known as "Starshield" by the Ukrainian military was issued from within the White House.

According to two U.S. officials and a Western official with knowledge of the matter, the order to restrict the Starshield satellite system used by Ukraine for field communications and drone operations was issued from within the White House.

Pentagon chiefs have been told that SpaceX's StarShield service to Ukraine's military must be slowed, the officials said.

The sources, who asked not to be named, did not provide information about who exactly made the decision in the White House. The Pentagon is the biggest customer of Starshield, which is the military version of the Starlink service.

Military Starlink receivers in Ukraine malfunctioned when mounted on high-speed objects, disrupting the drone's performance for internal guidance systems, Kiev officials said this week.

An official at Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Thursday that the receivers now work on the move, but only up to speeds of 160 kilometers per hour.

US pressure on Ukraine due to attacks on refineries

Referring to Donald Trump's agreement with Russia on the import of diesel from this country, Reuters has noted that his administration has increased pressure on Kiev to stop the attack on Russian refineries; The attacks that the US President has considered to be the reason for the increase in the price of diesel, which will subsequently damage the prospects of the Republican Party on the eve of the mid-term elections in November.

But experts say that the main reason for the increase in energy costs is the US-Israeli war with Iran, which led to Tehran's attacks on energy facilities and closed the key Strait of Hormuz.

"Such a request has never been made by the president," a senior U.S. official said in response to a request for comment on the Starshield restriction order, but the White House did not respond to questions about whether other administration officials may have made such a request.

In any case, Ukrainian officials say the restrictions have complicated combat missions against Russian forces in Moscow-held areas and slowed interceptor drones from shooting down Russian drones.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Wednesday on the "X" platform that since the Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, any restrictions on speed or use will be determined by the US military or the president.

However, SpaceX, the Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed in his Thursday interview with the Financial Times newspaper that Washington has used several pressure levers after Kiev disobeyed his orders; including the intentional reduction of the Starlink satellite internet speed and the cutting off of early missile warnings.