Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) warned that Congress will take punitive action if the United States withdraws its backing for Ukraine, calling the sudden loss of Ukraine's access to Starshield—the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink internet—a "major problem." In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Fitzpatrick said lawmakers could withhold funding from federal agencies that fail to carry out their duties.
"Agencies won't get funding if they're not doing their jobs," he told the Journal, promising "consequences" if the U.S. "goes dark" on Ukraine.
The Starshield disruption, which Ukraine said occurred on Wednesday, could severely hamper its defense operations and its ability to intercept Russian attacks. The outage came after multiple reports that the U.S. had threatened to cut off intelligence and weapons support to Kyiv. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who owns Starlink, clarified on X that Starshield is managed by the U.S. government and that any service limitations would be decided by President Trump or the military.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of Trump's shifting posture toward Ukraine. The president recently said he struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase Russian diesel, a move critics say could provide Moscow with a financial lifeline to sustain its war. Trump has also called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced and blamed high gas prices on Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries rather than on the U.S. conflict with Iran.
Fitzpatrick, who represents Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, is among the few House Republicans defending a seat that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024. He faces a competitive reelection race but has historically outperformed other Republicans in his district.
Other Republican lawmakers have also voiced alarm. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who is retiring after the midterms, said Congress will not advance Trump's legislative agenda if he abandons Ukraine. "Their agenda is dead unless they change paths," Bacon wrote on X.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another retiring Republican and frequent Trump critic, said the president's Russian oil deal is "tarnishing" the work of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a vocal Ukraine supporter. The Starshield cutoff has further fueled GOP concerns, with some members warning of a broader betrayal.
Zelensky fired back at Trump on Sunday, telling ABC News that the president is attacking him because he cannot stop Putin. "These people can't find a key how to stop Putin," Zelensky said. "It's more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine."
The episode has also drawn attention to the intersection of technology and warfare, as Ukraine's battlefield communications rely heavily on satellite internet. Recent Starlink cuts have disrupted Ukraine's drone operations, according to officials, while a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian refinery coincided with the Starshield outage. The disruptions have raised fears that Starlink restrictions could cost lives in Ukraine, as Zelensky has warned.
With Trump's latest moves on Ukraine prompting rare public pushback from within his own party, the coming weeks will test whether Republican leaders can rein in the president or whether Congress will follow through on Fitzpatrick's threat to wield the power of the purse.
