US senators proposed Starlink access inside Russia in exchange for 100-day pause in Ukrainian energy strikes - WSJ

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to accept the proposal, the newspaper's editorial board reported. No agreement has been announced.

Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota presented the idea during a visit to Kyiv on Oct. 9 as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation.

Under the proposal, extending Starlink coverage into Russia would allow Ukrainian forces to target launch sites used for attacks on Ukrainian cities. In return, Kyiv would suspend strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for 100 days.

The senators' proposal has not been publicly endorsed by the Trump administration, and it remains unclear whether the US government or SpaceX would agree to the proposed changes.

The report comes amid tensions over US efforts to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

On Oct. 11, President Donald Trump claimed that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an energy ceasefire. Zelenskyy subsequently said the announcement was news to him and that Ukraine would consider halting attacks if Russia reciprocated.

Zelenskyy told the Financial Times on Oct. 15 that Ukraine was resuming strikes on Russian oil refineries after a brief pause, saying Moscow had continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Separately, Reuters reported on Oct. 15 that an order to restrict Ukraine's use of Starshield, a US-controlled military satellite communications service developed by SpaceX, had originated inside the White House. The restrictions disrupted some Ukrainian drone operations before service was restored.

A senior US official told Reuters that Trump had not personally ordered the restrictions. The reason for the decision has not been established.

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board argued that the senators' proposed exchange could help revive stalled efforts toward a ceasefire.