AI Summary
5 min readIn a weekend of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, hundreds of thousands of people were left without electricity. Then came a new twist: Ukrainian officials believe SpaceX has deliberately limited their access to Starlink, the satellite system that underpins their battlefield communications. According to Ukrainian sources, the system now only works on terminals moving under 100 miles an hour, which means ground operations are fine but fast-moving drone operations—including deep strike and kamikaze drones—are now restricted. SpaceX has not confirmed this, but the Ukrainians see it as a deliberate blow to their ability to fight. This comes on top of an extraordinary few days in which Donald Trump announced a deal for Russia to export diesel, suggested Ukraine needed a new president, and unilaterally declared an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine—all while Russia continued hitting Ukrainian targets.
Trump’s diesel deal and the energy ceasefire
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What you'll learn
- 1 Kicking Kyiv: Trump’s doubtful deals
- 2 (01:49) **Attacks on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure** - Russian strikes leave hundreds of thousands without power; Ukraine has been hitting Russian oil refineries in response
- 3 (02:21) **Trump's Diesel Deal and Energy Ceasefire** - Trump claims to have brokered deals for Russian diesel imports and an energy ceasefire, but evidence on the ground contradicts this
- 4 (02:46) **Starlink Access Restricted for Ukraine** - Ukrainians believe SpaceX has limited their Starlink access, crippling drone operations
- 5 (04:08) **Threats of Withholding US Intelligence and Arms** - Ukraine faces threats of losing American intelligence and European-paid arms supplies
- 6 (04:22) **Analyzing the Diesel Deal: Electoral Gambit** - Trump's diesel deal is primarily an electoral move ahead of midterms, not a serious energy policy
- 7 (06:10) **The Asymmetrical Energy Ceasefire** - The ceasefire overwhelmingly benefits Russia while constraining Ukraine
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Donald Trump claims to have brokered a deal to import Russian diesel and an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. As attacks on Kyiv continue, our deputy editor says Trump is risking Ukraine’s future for a mid-term bounce. India’s government is failing to quell Gen Z protests. And how song binds us together and brings joy.
Guests and host:
- Edward Carr, deputy editor of The Economist
- Kira Huju, Asia correspondent
- Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor
- Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Ukraine, diesel, energy ceasefire, Starlink
- Cockroach party, Modi, Abhijeet Dipke
- Singing, Sacha Langton-Gilks, choir
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