[Yoon Jae-jun’s World View] Uncertainty in Ukraine grows as U.S. diplomatic stance shifts

[Financial News] Last week, Ukraine’s military was thrown into major disarray by unprecedented restrictions: a cutoff of access to Elon Musk’s military satellite internet service, Starshield, and a halt to the sharing of U.S. missile-warning information. Concerns are mounting that civilians have been left defenseless against the threat of Russian ballistic-missile attacks and that the alliance with the United States is beginning to fray.
The access restrictions came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv. A British expert said the move was closely linked to the confrontational stance taken by U.S. political circles toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On the 14th (local time), President Zelenskyy, visiting the UK, bluntly expressed his feelings in an interview, saying he “felt betrayed” by the U.S. actions. The Starshield connection was restored the next day, but after Russian missile attacks overnight caused numerous casualties, anxiety spread across Kryvyi Rih that “the United States is becoming an indispensable but hard-to-trust ally.”
Musk claimed that the decision to cut off the satellite service was up to the U.S. Department of Defense, while U.S. President Donald Trump also denied that there had been any change in the information-sharing policy. Zelenskyy, however, called for the United States to act responsibly, saying, “We need honesty.”
Experts believe the shift in U.S. policy is rooted in the midterm elections scheduled for next month and domestic economic concerns.
Trump recently eased some sanctions on Russia and announced a contract to import Russian diesel. The move was intended to lower fuel prices in the United States amid high inflation, but after Zelenskyy criticized it as a “weak decision,” Trump fired back, saying, “It’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.” Trump also blamed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries for the rise in diesel prices in the United States.
Musk, who has repaired his relationship with Trump, has also publicly criticized Ukraine’s strategy of attacking Russia. David Galbreath, a professor of war and technology at the University of Bath, said, “The Starshield cutoff happened just days after Musk described Ukraine’s attacks as ‘crossing the line,’” adding that it was difficult to view the timing as a coincidence.
Maida Ruge, a senior research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), said, “The Republicans are at a disadvantage in the election because of high energy prices and the cost-of-living burden,” explaining that this was why “President Trump is reacting so sensitively to attacks on refineries ahead of the midterms.”
Musk stepped up his criticism on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “It’s time for Zelenskyy to step down.” But if satellite communications networks such as Starshield and Starlink are cut off, Ukraine’s military operations with medium-range drones and its systems for shooting down Russian drones would be paralyzed, dealing it a devastating blow.
Ukrainian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk strongly condemned the move, saying, “Without satellite networks, Russian drones will attack residential areas, hospitals and schools as if they were targets on a shooting range,” and “the blood of Ukrainian children will be on the hands of American companies and their representatives.”
Meanwhile, despite pressure from Trump and Musk, President Zelenskyy made clear that he would not back down. After initially appearing to partially accept the U.S. call for an energy ceasefire, Zelenskyy told the Financial Times (FT) in an interview, “Restraint [in attacks on Russian refineries] is over. We will no longer hold back,” signaling a hard-line response.
Experts predict that the situation will not only undermine Ukraine’s operational capabilities but also send the wrong signal to Russia (Putin), prolonging the war.
With European Union (EU) countries also distancing themselves from President Trump, Ukraine is nevertheless risking a further reduction in U.S. support by directly confronting him, given its heavy reliance on the United States in crucial areas such as satellite intelligence, Starlink and weapons purchases.
[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter