Musk calls on Zelensky to step down as Starlink cutbacks hit Ukraine's front

A post that followed a Starlink slowdown

Elon Musk wrote on X on Thursday, 15 October 2026, that it was time for Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office. He was replying to a post by the political commentator Alexander Muse, who had suggested that Zelensky feared ending the war with Russia and holding presidential elections, because a defeat could expose him to prosecution as it could his predecessors. Musk also wrote that the massacre continues. His account has more than 240 million followers, and the post came a few hours after Ukraine said SpaceX had restricted Starlink services.

Starlink, Starshield and the front line

Zelensky had asked Musk to restore Starlink, which Kyiv said had been sharply slowed overnight and was affecting its operations at the front. According to Spiegel, Zelensky warned that people would die if attacks continued while Starlink did not work. Shortly afterward, Ukraine's defence ministry reported better connections. Musk said SpaceX had built two services: Starlink for civilian and defensive use, and Starshield for military communications, which he said the US government controls. He wrote that any limits on speed or use are decided by the US military and ultimately by the president, and he said any interruption was the responsibility of the US government. One report said Ukraine depends on Starshield for battlefield communications, while the civilian Starlink system is not permitted for offensive operations.

1. Oct 14, 2026Ukraine says Starlink services were restricted and Zelensky asks Musk to restore them
2. Oct 15, 2026Musk posts on X that it is time for Zelensky to go

Diesel deal, intelligence and Trump's position

Zelensky's criticism followed Trump's announcement of a deal on Russian diesel supplies for the US and world markets, and he answered yes when asked whether he felt betrayed. Trump criticized Zelensky a day after reaching the agreement with Putin, saying he thought it was time for Ukraine to choose a new president who could reach a deal with Russia. Zelensky had said that authorizing Russian petroleum sales was an investment in the war. Kyiv accused the United States of helping Russia by not warning of imminent missile strikes and of hindering its military response through changes to SpaceX's satellite system. A senior Ukrainian official said Washington had threatened to stop sharing intelligence on Russian missile launches, which Trump has denied. Trump, facing legislative midterm elections in November, has blamed rising petrol prices on Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.

Election offer and the Kremlin's answer

Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to hold presidential elections if Russia accepted a complete ceasefire lasting two months, a period he said was needed to secure the campaign. The Kremlin said Russia was prepared to refrain from attacks only on election day itself. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the 60-day armistice was needed for Zelensky to regroup, heal his wounds and continue the war. Ukraine's last presidential election took place in 2019, and a vote due in March 2024 was postponed indefinitely because of martial law. Zelensky also cited the mass departure of Ukrainians abroad and the occupation of about 20% of the country's territory as obstacles. Putin has repeatedly said he does not regard Zelensky as Ukraine's legitimate president.

Online reaction

Most replies to Musk were critical, and many users asked him to say the same to Putin. The Ukrainian activist account Saint Javelin asked whether it was time for Putin to go as well. Larry the Cat, the unofficial account of the cat at 10 Downing Street with more than 900,000 followers on X, asked the same question. Jay in Kyiv, an American blogger who lives in Ukraine, argued that Musk, like Trump, was serving Russian interests. Jimmy Rushton, a British journalist living in Ukraine who writes for the Kyiv Independent, replied that Musk would also have demanded the resignation of Churchill in 1940.