DOMINANT ANGLE
Paris is weighing Donald Trump's announcement about the restoration of Starlink against Kiev's denial, which noted on Friday that restrictions on Starshield remain in place.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
On Thursday, October 22, Donald Trump stated that Musk had relaunched Starlink: "What matters is that he relaunched it" (Sud Ouest).
- 02
According to the Wall Street Journal cited by Le Monde, Trump had called Elon Musk on Wednesday to ask him to lift the restrictions.
- 03
On Friday, October 23, Kiev claimed that restrictions still affected Starshield, despite Trump's announcement (Sud Ouest).
ANALYSIS
Paris, October 23, 2026. In the French press, the Starlink affair is first and foremost a public disagreement between Washington and Kiev over a fact that each presents in its own way. On Thursday, October 22, Donald Trump stated that Elon Musk had relaunched the satellite network, which is essential to Ukrainian forces, after Kiev reported connection limitations. Sud Ouest quotes his statement: "I don't want to comment on whether I called or someone else called - it doesn't change anything. What matters is that he relaunched it."
Le Monde reports, citing the Wall Street Journal, that according to American officials, the Republican president had called Elon Musk on Wednesday, October 21, to ask him to lift the restrictions on the system. The newspaper recalls that SpaceX deploys Starlink and its military variant Starshield, on which Ukraine's ability to communicate in the war against Russia depends.
The denial came the very next day. On Friday, October 23, Kiev stated that restrictions were still affecting Starshield, despite the previous day's announcement that Elon Musk had restored access to the network for Ukrainian forces. Sud Ouest headlines these restrictions as "still observed" and thus pits the American presidential statement against the Ukrainian version, without taking sides.
The issue is part of a broader war narrative. Le Monde's live feed reports that Russia launched 176 drones against Ukraine on the night of Thursday to Friday, including 92 Shahed jet-powered drones, and that a DTEK thermal power plant stopped producing electricity after a massive attack. The 20 Minutes live feed mentions the exchange of 270 prisoners of war from each side on Friday and direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, under American mediation, "planned" for Abu Dhabi in November.
The French account thus contrasts an American presidential promise, a contested reality on the ground by Kiev, and a context of daily strikes, without detailing the technical effects of the restrictions or the responsibilities of SpaceX or the White House.
SOURCES (3)
- 20 MinutesMEDIUM
- Le Monde InternationalMEDIUM
- Sud OuestMEDIUM
