Axios reports:

President Trump is indulging his fondness for Vladimir Putin at a moment of acute political peril, forcing Republicans in the midterms to take cover as he showers Moscow with one-sided concessions.

Why it matters: With just three weeks until the election, Trump is rekindling a decade-long, scandal-scarred relationship with a dictator reviled by most Americans — including his own supporters.

Driving the news: Since speaking with Putin on Friday, Trump has embarked on a remarkable five-day campaign of diplomatic concessions and cover for Russia — sparking bipartisan blowback just as voters prepare to cast their ballots.

• On Friday, Trump announced a deal to unleash millions of tons of Russian diesel onto global markets, easing sanctions designed to starve Moscow’s war revenues.
• On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for striking Russian refineries and demanded that Kyiv replace its leader.

• On Sunday, Trump blindsided Zelensky by declaring an immediate “energy ceasefire.” Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with no apparent consequences from Washington.
• On Monday, Trump dismissed months of intelligence-based reports that Russia was enabling Iran’s war effort by supplying information about U.S. military assets.
• On Tuesday, Trump doubled down on the diesel deal and brushed off concerns that the proceeds could finance Russia’s war machine, even as GOP senators labeled it a “betrayal” and “a gift to our adversary.”

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The Hill reports:

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday said decisions to restrict the speed or usage of Starlink’s Starshield are made by the U.S. military and, ultimately, the president, as confusion swirls over Ukraine’s loss of military access to the systems.

It is not clear at this point what caused Ukraine’s military to lose access to Starshield, Starlink’s military system, which is owned and controlled by the U.S. government.

“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk wrote in a comment on the social platform X, which he owns.

“Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” Musk said.

A source familiar with the matter told The Hill on Wednesday that Starlink services were cut off for objects that traveled more than 100 miles an hour, impacting the capabilities of Ukraine’s drones, airplanes and helicopters.

Ukraine’s defense minister said on Wednesday afternoon that SpaceX was working to restore satellite speeds.

Following the loss of access Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the slowdown of the Starlink service was a “big mistake.”

“People will die, of course, if attacks will continue and if Starlink will not work. … It’s not helpful,” he said, suggesting it was “maybe a huge technical problem” at SpaceX.

The slowdown sparked a barrage of questions and concerns online. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called on Musk in a social media post to explain the incident, writing, “please tell me these overnight disruptions to Starlink terminals in Ukraine were unintended — that @SpaceX is doing everything it can to fix a temporary glitch.”

“I’m confident this does not reflect a change in SpaceX policy because if so, intentionally degrading Ukraine’s ability to defend itself might be construed as aiding and abetting a mass murderer,” Tillis wrote on social media. “Can you confirm that’s not SpaceX’s intent?” [Continue reading…]

CNN reports:

As President Donald Trump and his administration have ratcheted up pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries, citing harm to American consumers, they have remained silent on recent Russian strikes on US businesses in Ukraine.

Russia has escalated its attacks on facilities tied to American corporations – and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine writ large – over the past several months.

According to Andy Hunder, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Russian missiles and drones have damaged facilities belonging to some of America’s most notable brands, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, McDonalds and Oreo.

Although Russia has tried to deter successful American business in the past, it’s “nothing we’ve seen like over the last months,” Hunder told CNN.

“This is a direct hit with drones and missiles, and they keep hitting them. It’s sending a message that they’re targeting American business. We’re not seeing any response from the White House,” he said. [Continue reading…]