October 15, 2026
DIANE FRANCIS
This week, the inexplicable, sudden absence of US intelligence warnings and a simultaneous weakening of Starlink satellite internet service crippled Ukraine’s ability to protect its skies and fight its ground war. The service is owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and paid for by the Pentagon and Poland, and mysteriously stopped working to detect drones on the battlefield. Then, on October 13 and 14, there were no intelligence warnings to Ukraine from Washington, and Russia unleashed dozens of ballistic missiles against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, killing civilians and cutting power to 600,000 people in Kyiv. President Trump had asked both sides to halt attacks on energy operations, specifically asking Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries. Ukraine halted attacks, but Russia escalated. “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said defiantly in an interview with the Financial Times. Retaliatory strikes against Russia have resumed.
Here are the events, according to CBS News as of October 14:
— The Trump administration threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons purchases for Ukraine unless Kyiv stopped striking Russian energy facilities. (Ukraine stopped.)
— Then Russia attacked on October 13 and 14, and Ukrainian officials reported receiving no American intelligence warnings before these attacks.
— American officials reportedly blamed a technical failure involving weather. Ukrainian officials questioned that explanation.
— Sources told CBS that the United States may have deliberately withheld the warnings, although that has not been established.
— After Russia’s brutal attack on Kyiv, Trump denied suspending intelligence sharing. On October 13, he said the United States was still providing intelligence to Ukraine. But Ukraine said no warnings were given.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk suggested that the US government may be behind restrictions on his Starlink services and not him. He said: “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately [the US president].”
Finger-pointing aside, Zelensky made it clear on October 15 that strikes against Russia’s oil refineries will continue, and that he was angry over the “dangerous” withdrawal of US intelligence and weakening of Starlink internet service, which enabled intense Russian attacks.
Trump’s double-dealing has occurred elsewhere. He recently signed a bill passed by Congress that gave him the ability to impose massive tariffs on Russian oil and its customers. But he has not used it nor even threatened to do so. Instead, he recently lifted sanctions on huge amounts of
Russian diesel in an attempt to lower pump prices in the US before the midterms — an act which contravenes Congress’s sanctions bill that he signed.
In addition, reports are that he’s been working in Russia’s favor by lobbying European countries to unfreeze billions in Russian assets that were immobilized after Moscow invaded Ukraine. This is to encourage Russia to stop despite all indications otherwise, including Russia’s intensifying war in Ukraine and hybrid war against Europe. It smacks of corruption, and disgust is widespread, said US Representative Mike Quigley. “Donald Trump’s betrayal of Ukraine sends a clear message to our allies that we cannot be relied on, we will not stand by our word, and that we choose autocrats over democracy.”