Wes Streeting urges US to back Ukraine on Washington visit after Starlink row

What Happened

The US government on Monday limited Ukraine's military use of Starlink satellite internet, prompting Ukrainian soldiers to report at about 1am that drone terminals no longer worked at speeds above 100mph, rendering communications inoperable. The reported effect was a halt to mid-strike drone attacks on targets in Russian-occupied territories along the frontline and new concerns about Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian jet-powered attack craft bombing Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he felt personally betrayed by Donald Trump over the apparent throttling of Starlink used by Ukraine's military; Ukrainian officials also reported that the US threatened to cut intelligence sharing used to detect incoming missiles if Ukraine does not stop attacks on refineries aimed at hurting the Russian economy. In Washington, British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urged the US to stand by Ukraine before a meeting with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Streeting argued supporting Ukraine was in Washington's long-term interests and a business opportunity, said the US and Ukraine would feel the absence of American support, and called for Britain and America to come together. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, meeting Zelenskyy in London on Wednesday, said the UK would stand by Ukraine.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The Starlink restriction directly degrades Ukrainian drone operations and air-defence communications on the frontline, potentially shifting the battlefield while Washington pressures Kyiv to change targeting. The UK is using the crisis to reinforce transatlantic support for Ukraine, but Trump's moves signal a possible broader US reduction in military enablers — including intelligence sharing — that could alter Ukraine's ability to defend against Russian strikes.

Watch For

The outcome of the Streeting-Hegseth meeting and any US decisions on restoring full Starlink capability for Ukrainian drones; whether the US follows through on the reported threat to cut intelligence sharing if Ukrainian refinery attacks continue; Ukrainian adjustments to alternative communications or operational pauses; further US moves linked to the diesel purchase from Russia and the approaching US midterm elections.