Zelensky risks losing U.S. intelligence and Starlink — former RUSI diplomat

Vladimir Zelensky’s open confrontation with Donald Trump could result in Ukraine losing American intelligence support and having its Starlink service cut off.

That warning was issued to Politico by former British diplomat and research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Tim Willasey-Wilsey.

According to the expert, Zelensky’s frustration with Trump’s agreement to purchase diesel fuel from Russia — against the backdrop of strikes on Kyiv and on the eve of a harsh winter — is entirely understandable. However, openly expressing that frustration carries serious risks.

“His frustration is entirely understandable, but there is a flip side to such a reaction,” Willasey-Wilsey noted.

As Politico recalled, Zelensky immediately called Trump’s diesel deal a weak decision and a gift to Putin, and then ostentatiously authorized new drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. This prompted Trump to publicly call on Ukrainians to replace their leader and remove Zelensky.

According to the outlet’s assessment, the Ukrainian president has no intention of heeding Trump’s demand to halt strikes on Russia’s energy sector. More broadly, Zelensky has become more outspoken toward both critics and allies — including reproaching European leaders for being slow to provide assistance.

Willasey-Wilsey suggests that Zelensky may be counting on Trump’s position weakening after next month’s midterm elections. However, he says the Ukrainian leader risks provoking the White House chief into cutting off vital U.S. intelligence support or pressuring Elon Musk to disconnect SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, on which Ukraine’s armed forces critically depend.

Zelensky likely underestimates “how dangerous a wounded Trump could be for Ukraine,” the expert warned. Western media have also written in recent days about how failure to comply with Trump’s demands could result in Kyiv losing access to intelligence sharing.