A satellite speed test on a European motorway is an unusual way to check whether Donald Trump can be trusted.
asserted
Trump → check → motorway
But the test results are impossible to ignore when they challenge everything the American president claims about the war in Ukraine.
uncertain
president → ignore → Ukraine
The results also have implications for every American ally when the findings suggest the Trump administration has slowed the speed of the Starlink satellite network, and its Starshield military system, so Ukrainian targets are more exposed to Russian attacks.
asserted
targets → have → attacks
All the signs suggest the Americans made a technical change that increased civilian casualties.
asserted
that → suggest → casualties
Without Starlink working properly, Ukrainian drones lost the power to intercept Russian drones.
asserted
drones → work → drones
The rational conclusion is that civilians died from a decision in Washington DC to limit the use of an American network.
asserted
civilians → die → network
The speed test was undertaken in recent days by Ukrainian personnel who took Starlink equipment into a nearby European Union country to check whether they would get the same slow speeds they experienced when using the terminals in Ukraine.
asserted
they → undertake → Ukraine
Starlink worked for vehicles travelling at 180km/h in Europe.
asserted
Starlink → work → Europe
In Ukraine, however, service cut out for drones travelling at more than 161km/h.
asserted
service → cut → km/h
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the results to journalists on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) and explained why they mattered.
asserted
they → reveal → Saturday
When Ukrainian forces send a drone to intercept a Russian attack, he said, they “lose the drone” when it travels at a speed higher than the Starlink cap.
asserted
it → send → cap
While they could slow the drone, of course, that would only make it harder to intercept a Russian kamikaze drone heading for an apartment building.
uncertain
it → slow → building
Zelensky concluded that the technical limit on Starlink in Ukraine was no accident.
asserted
limit → conclude → Ukraine
“Limitations are in effect on the territory of Ukraine, and limitations are not in effect on the territory of the EU countries,” he said.
asserted
he → say → countries
“That is, this is a planned operation.”
asserted
this → plan → ?
So, who planned it?
asserted
who → plan → it
This is a question every American ally, including Australia, should want answered.
asserted
ally → include → Australia
Trump denies being responsible and also tries to protect Elon Musk, the founder and controller of Starlink and its parent company, SpaceX.
“It wasn’t me and I don’t think it was Elon,” he said on Friday.
asserted
he → deny → Friday
Well, somebody in the Trump administration did it.
asserted
somebody → do → it
The Telegraph reported on Friday that Musk suggested the move to Trump, who liked the idea.
uncertain
who → report → idea
Reuters reported the order came from inside the White House.
asserted
order → report → House
Trump claims he wants peace in Ukraine, but his latest decisions have the effect of helping Russia wage war.
uncertain
Russia → claim → war
He has blocked funding for Ukraine, limited its access to Patriot interceptors, hedged on a security guarantee in any ceasefire and suggested Zelensky should cede more territory to Putin.
uncertain
Zelensky → block → Putin
He is also unwinding sanctions against Russia, starting with a deal to let the Kremlin make more money from diesel fuel exports.
asserted
Kremlin → unwind → exports
“It’s immoral and it makes no sense,” the former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, said of the diesel and sanctions moves on US television.
asserted
ambassador → ’ → television
“What American national interest is advanced by these decisions?
asserted
interest → advance → decisions
Australians should be watching this closely.
asserted
Australians → watch → this
Remember, it was only 18 months ago that Trump talked of having a way to limit the features of jet fighters used by allies.
asserted
Trump → remember → allies
This “kill switch” talk alarmed the US defence industry, which feared it would lose sales.
asserted
it → alarm → sales
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is responding carefully to what Trump says.
asserted
Trump → respond → what
He has started a review of a Canadian plan to buy a fleet of F-35 stealth fighters from the US.
asserted
He → start → US
Canada has also gained “observer” status on a sixth-generation fighter being developed by the UK, Italy and Japan.
asserted
Canada → gain → UK
At a time when Australia is committed to buying US submarines under the AUKUS program, it is essential to confront the inherent risk in relying on the US under Trump.
asserted
it → commit → Trump
It is no longer science fiction to think that someone in Washington DC might want to “switch off” the military capability of an ally.
uncertain
someone → think → ally
Until Trump, however, it was promised full support from America under security agreements.
asserted
it → promise → agreements
Former president Joe Biden hedged on shipping some of the armaments Zelensky wanted, but he kept funding Ukraine to try to stop Russia because this was seen as vital to the interest of the US and its NATO allies.
asserted
this → hedge → US
Yes, the head-spinning shift under Trump betrays Ukraine.
asserted
shift → spin → Ukraine
But it does more than this.
asserted
it → do → this
It warns all American partners of the danger of depending on an unreliable ally.
asserted
It → warn → ally
European leaders, like those in Australia, are extremely wary of offending Trump by directly criticising his decisions to help Putin.
asserted
leaders → offend → Putin
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
