Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has received assurances from US counterpart Pete Hegseth that satellite access to Starlink for Ukraine has been fully restored, as the UK minister quoted St Francis of Assisi in an attempt to "bring harmony" between Kyiv and Washington.
Speaking during his inaugural trip to Washington DC as Defence Secretary, Mr Streeting said Mr Hegseth confirmed the critical satellite communications network was functioning again. The root cause of the blackout remains unknown, coming during a period of heightened friction between the United States and Ukraine.
The visit was aimed at strengthening transatlantic relations, which have come under pressure over President Donald Trump’s policy towards Kyiv and growing divides between the US and Nato allies.
It follows remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London a day earlier, where he stated that Mr Trump had betrayed his nation by restricting access to the US-produced Starlink terminals crucial to Ukrainian defence operations.
In an interview with the BBC following his meeting on Thursday with Mr Hegseth, Mr Streeting said: "Unsurprisingly we did discuss Starlink. It’s not yet clear to us in the UK what happened, why the service interruption occurred.
"But I am reassured, and was reassured directly by Secretary Hegseth, that the service has been restored.
"And that is a demonstration, I think, of the importance of the US contribution on intelligence sharing."
Declining to elaborate on what prompted the outage, the Defence Secretary remarked: "This is not the first time we’ve seen a falling out between Washington and Kyiv.
"And as I said to Secretary Hegseth, in the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, ‘Where there is discord, may we bring harmony.’
"That has been the British approach in moments like this. That’s the diplomacy and the approach I’ve brought to Washington today.
"I’m here to solve problems, and the UK has been Ukraine’s number one ally. We will continue to play that role."
Earlier, Sir Ben Wallace, the Conservative former defence secretary, told the broadcaster he believed Mr Trump "wants Russia to win" and argued that "all his actions show he’s much more supportive of Russia than Ukraine, and that should worry us all".
Responding to Sir Ben’s comments, Mr Streeting said: "My reflection on the meeting I’ve just had with Secretary Hegseth is that this is a fight between freedom and self-determination and democracy for Ukraine, and Russian tyranny…
"America ultimately comes down on the side of freedom. I think there’s no doubt that President Trump wants to see an end to this war and wants to play a role in negotiating a peace."
The cabinet minister stressed that his central message in Washington was that "it’s really important that we keep the Americans engaged".
Growing anxieties over Washington's ongoing dedication to Kyiv come after the Starlink disruption and Mr Trump’s decision to relax sanctions concerning Russian diesel.
Prior to his bilateral talks, Mr Streeting advocated for sustained US commitment to Ukraine during an address co-hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and the Royal United Services Institute.
He cautioned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin saw his aggression rewarded, "the consequences will not remain confined to Ukraine or to my continent".
Addressing the audience, Mr Streeting said: "Britain and America have never been content to simply watch history unfold. At defining moments, we have helped determine its course.
"The front line for freedom today can be found in Ukraine."
He added: "Ukraine may be thousands of miles from American shores, but if aggression is rewarded, if borders can be redrawn by force, if the sovereignty of nations becomes negotiable, the consequences will not remain confined to Ukraine or to my continent.
"So standing with Ukraine is not a choice between our values and our self-interest. It is a recognition that ultimately they are inseparable."
Highlighting how lower-cost technologies have reshaped modern battlefields, the Defence Secretary pointed out that military dominance now hinges on rapid innovation and scalable manufacturing rather than merely spending on costly hardware.
This dynamic, he argued, offers "Britain and America with an extraordinary opportunity, not simply to renew our defence partnership, but to help build an alliance fit for the challenges of this century".
Closing his speech, he said: "I firmly believe it remains the strongest and most enduring bilateral relationship anywhere in the world, but its future cannot run purely on the fumes of nostalgia.
"Collaboration on defence innovation can drive our partnership to new heights for the rest of this century."
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