Zelensky Says He Feels Betrayed by Trump, Asks Musk to Switch on Starlink

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt betrayed by President Donald Trump in remarks released Wednesday, after the announcement of a U.S. deal to buy Russian fuel and amid movement-speed restrictions on some Starlink terminals used in Ukraine.

Asked in an interview released Oct. 14 whether he felt betrayed, Zelensky replied, “Really, yes.” He said it was painful when Trump chose one side and argued, “If you’re in the middle, you have to stay in the middle. Not on the wrong side.”

Zelensky also asked Elon Musk to “switch on” Starlink, warning that people could die if attacks continued and the service did not work. Ukraine’s military relies on Starlink for battlefield communications.

Musk said Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government, with the military and ultimately the president deciding speed and usage limits. He described Starlink separately as a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX, limited to civilian or defensive activities and not offensive military action.

Zelensky had previously criticized Trump’s move to lift sanctions on Russian diesel imports.