Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused SpaceX of not telling the truth over restrictions to Ukraine’s Starshield satellite system, saying that the decision to impose speed limits appears to be “political” rather than “technical”.
asserted
decision → accuse → limits
Speaking on Friday, Ukraine’s president said the restrictions affecting Ukrainian drones had been in place for five days.
asserted
restrictions → speak → days
They could no longer fly at speeds of more than 161km/h (100mph), he said, with connections at higher speeds lost.
uncertain
connections → fly → speeds
As a result, incoming jet-powered Russian Shahed drones could no longer be intercepted.
uncertain
drones → power → result
Ukraine’s own mid-range strikes against military targets in Russian-occupied territory were also severely affected, he said.
asserted
he → occupy → territory
Speaking to the Guardian and other journalists at the presidential palace in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said he had asked his military leadership to raise the issue with Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, as well as with the Pentagon and the US state department.
asserted
he → speak → Pentagon
There was “no clear explanation” as to why Ukraine’s operations were being throttled.
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operations → be → ?
He said SpaceX had told Kyiv that there were “no restrictions”.
asserted
SpaceX → say → Kyiv
The claim, Zelenskyy suggested, was untrue with problems detected across the “entire frontline”.
uncertain
Zelenskyy → suggest → frontline
The ministry of defence spoke with SpaceX. They replied: ‘We are not imposing any restrictions.’
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We → speak → restrictions
They say it is some kind of technical issue.
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it → say → issue
We do not believe that is the case,” Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → believe → ?
He added: “The question is not whether we believe them or not.
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we → add → them
But every day, we test this in different directions.
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we → test → directions
Every day, we get the same confirmation.
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we → get → confirmation
So these are not isolated cases; they are widespread.”
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they → isolate → ?
Ukraine suspects the slowdown is a deliberate US tactic, designed to pressure Zelenskyy to make concessions to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.
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slowdown → suspect → president
It follows a similar issue last month, and coincided with US-brokered talks last week in Abu Dhabi featuring Ukrainian and Russian representatives.
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It → follow → representatives
The Kremlin insists Ukraine give up the entire eastern Donbas region.
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Ukraine → insist → region
He categorically ruled out giving away further land to Russian “terrorists”.
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He → rule → terrorists
Zelenskyy also revealed that US negotiators, Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and real estate developer Steve Witkoff, had asked if Ukraine was willing to give up the Donbas in exchange for membership of Nato, or Nato-like security guarantees.
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Ukraine → reveal → Nato
Details of the proposal were vague, Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → say → proposal
They did not appear to involve US peacekeeping troops on the ground, he added.
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he → appear → ground
He said the war could only end with a ceasefire agreement, alongside meaningful security guarantees, underwritten by western partners.
uncertain
war → say → partners
Zelenskyy also dismissed an offer by Putin for a “humanitarian mission” in the eastern city of Kostiantynivka as a ploy.
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Zelenskyy → dismiss → ploy
Russia has called for a five-day ceasefire, modelled on a truce last month in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, from where civilians were evacuated.
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civilians → call → where
“It’s an absolutely primitive move.
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It → ’ → ?
Putin simply wants us to leave Kostiantynivka so that they can move in and occupy the entire city that way,” Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → want → city
He said civilians had already fled the area as fierce street by street fighting continued, with huge Russian losses.
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fighting → say → losses
Zelenskyy said he had proposed repeating the Oleshky truce in nearby Russian-occupied villages and towns in south Ukraine, along the Dnipro River.
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he → say → River
Putin rejected this.
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Putin → reject → this
His true goal was to swallow up Kostiantynivka and the Ukrainian garrison cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → swallow → Sloviansk
He also called Russian attempts to discuss Europe’s security architecture – a topic raised last week by the Trump administration – as “concerning”.
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He → call → administration
The Kremlin has called for Nato to return to its pre-1997 configuration, before eastern European countries including the Baltic states joined the alliance.
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countries → call → alliance
Putin first made this demand in 2021, in the runup to his big Ukraine invasion.
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Putin → make → invasion
Its revival after nearly five years of full-scale war, Zelenskyy said, was an alarming signal, indicative of imperial thinking.
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Zelenskyy → say → thinking
“Putin’s desire to change borders in Europe is a fact,” Zelenskyy said, stressing: “We cannot turn everything upside down.”
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We → change → everything
Ukraine’s president said his recent conversations with European leaders who met in Dublin had brought tangible results.
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who → say → results
They included pledges from Denmark to supply ammunition for F-16 jets – used to shoot down Russian drones – as well as energy support packages for Kyiv and other cities.
asserted
They → include → Kyiv
Russia was “betting everything” on its winter campaign, he added.
asserted
he → bet → campaign
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
