Disturbances at Starlink: The Donald, the Elon and the Question of Guilt

Anyone who is either old enough or very young knows this children's game. “Max stole the cookies from the tin!” one shouts, then Max: “Who, me?” and everyone: “Yes, you!” Max: “Never!” Everyone: “Then who?” Max: “Susi stole the cookies from the can!” Susi: “Who, me?” And so on until it gets boring.

At about this level, US President Donald Trump and the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, are currently arguing about the question of who is responsible for the fact that Musk's satellite-based Internet Starlink in its military version can currently only be used by Ukraine at a reduced speed. But it's not quite as funny: Because advance warning times for Russian attacks are missing or greatly shortened, people are dying every day in Ukraine. Musk claims that the commander in chief, i.e. Trump, decides on the military “Starshield” program. He, in turn, claims he has nothing to do with it.

Let's assume, against all experience and probability, that Trump is telling the truth. Then that would mean that Elon Musk would no longer just have the power to turn one of the largest social networks into a stinking sewer, that he would not only use millions upon millions to influence elections in the USA in favor of the right, but that he would also be an independent military actor who no longer felt bound by the instructions of politics. That would be dystopian. Imagine if Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger independently decided not to deliver the tank shipment recently ordered by the federal government, or rather to Russia, or to set up his own army. The use of military force and means of power would take away the last remnants of democratic control.

It's probably not that far yet. More likely, Trump will simply do what he always does: claim credit for imagined successes and deny responsibility for the real consequences of his policies, provided they are verifiably disastrous.

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Secret services from all sides are familiar with such games. “Deniability” is the term used in English when operations have a threatening effect, for example Russian hybrid warfare in Germany, without being able to be reliably attributed to the Kremlin. This is now also being attempted in the Starlink case. It's actually obvious: Donald stole the cookies from the can.