Zelensky calls Witkoff and Kushner after satellite dispute

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a Sunday telephone conversation with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, envoys of President Donald Trump, to discuss the diplomatic crisis between the United States and Ukraine and the push to restart peace negotiations with Russia. The source identifies this as the first direct communication between Zelensky and senior U.S. officials since tensions escalated ten days ago, a period marked by Trump's approval of a diesel deal with Russia. The call occurred against the backdrop of Zelensky's claims that the Trump administration influenced restrictions on Starlink and Starshield satellite systems utilized by the Ukrainian military. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Zelensky stated that he believed the decision to limit satellite speeds was a joint effort by the White House and SpaceX. He noted that if President Trump personally decided to lift the restrictions, the systems would immediately return to their previous operational status. Zelensky added that Ukrainian generals and government officials believe the directive to limit speed originated from the American government, while SpaceX executed the technical changes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio contradicted these claims on Saturday, asserting that the U.S. government was not involved in the Starlink restrictions and stating that service had already been restored. Ukrainian officials continue to dispute Rubio's account.