The diplomatic reset
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to the phones on Sunday to chat with President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The call is a major move following a massive cooling of vibes between the two countries, largely triggered by President Trump cutting a diesel deal with Russia just 10 days ago.
The Starlink drama
The tension is currently highkey fueled by claims that the Trump administration is throttling Starlink and Starshield services, which are absolutely essential for the Ukrainian military.
Zelensky isn't buying the denial from the U.S. government. Speaking on NBC’s "Meet the Press," he was blunt: "Who made this decision? I don't know. I think that this is really both [White House and SpaceX] decision." He noted that if President Trump were to personally intervene today, the systems would be back to full speed immediately.
While Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed Saturday that the U.S. government had zero involvement and that the service is back to normal, Ukrainian officials say that's just not true. The situation remains super messy.
Why it matters
This call is the first direct connection between Zelensky and senior U.S. leadership since the recent diplomatic fallout. With peace talks on the table and the U.S. government disputing Ukraine’s claims about connectivity issues, the real tea is that the future of Ukraine's military edge depends on whether these two administrations can actually get on the same page. No cap, this could change the entire momentum of the conflict.
