Rubio denies US foreknowledge of Starlink restrictions in Ukraine -Governance Now

Rubio denies US foreknowledge of Starlink restrictions in Ukraine

On protests in India, US Secretary of State says it's a domestic political matter

Geetanjali Minhas | October 21, 2026 | Mumbai

#USA #Marco Rubio #Defence #Diplomacy

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said he was unfamiliar with the Wall Street Journal report suggesting Elon Musk had decided to throttle Starlink services in Ukraine, but rejected claims that Washington had ordered the restrictions to pressure Kyiv.

“There was no foreknowledge,” Rubio said, adding that neither the president nor anyone in the US administration had directed the company to make changes to the system. He was responding to questions during a media interaction here Tuesday.

He emphasised the distinction between Starlink, a commercial satellite internet service, and Starshield, a separate defence-oriented product sold and operated through the US Department of War. While Starlink can be used for purposes such as guiding drones, he said, it is not a military system.

“Starlink is a private company. They have a contract. They have contractual terms upon how that technology can be used,” Rubio said, arguing that the US government could not dictate how a private company managed its products.

Asked whether Washington should have received advance notice of a decision affecting infrastructure vital to Ukraine's national security, he declined to elaborate on what officials might have known, but subsequently said he was not aware of any advance knowledge of the decision.

He maintained that the restrictions were governed by commercial arrangements and reiterated that the administration had neither directed the move nor sought to punish Ukraine.

Rubio also pushed back against claims that Washington had withheld assistance necessary for Ukraine's defence, questioning Ukrainian officials' accounts that American actions had contributed to casualties.

“No country in the world has done more to help Ukraine over the last four and a half years than the United States,” he said, referring to assistance provided under both the Biden and Trump administrations.

The secretary credited Ukrainian fighters for their resistance against Russia but stressed the scale of American support, including billions of dollars in assistance. He argued that Ukraine's continued existence as a sovereign state had depended heavily on US aid.

“The bravery of the Ukrainian fighters should not be highlighted” was not his position; rather, Rubio explicitly acknowledged their courage while underscoring the contribution of American assistance. He said the Trump administration's priority remained bringing the war to an end.

Responding to a question about opposition and student protests in India, as well as criticism of the crackdown by UN experts, Rubio declined to comment on the country's domestic political affairs.

After dismissively referring to UN experts, he described the matter as an internal political issue that Indians should resolve themselves.

“No. It's a domestic political matter. I mean, I'm not going to get involved in their politics,” he said.

Rubio noted that protests and public demonstrations could reflect political discourse and differences of opinion in a democracy. He distinguished peaceful expressions of dissent from riots involving vandalism, arson and destruction of property, citing unrest in Europe as an example.

Comparing democratic freedoms with restrictions on political opposition in Cuba, he argued that the ability to protest was an important feature of an open political system.

However, he reiterated that Washington would not comment on India's internal political matters, saying these were for the Indian people to decide and navigate.

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