Restrictions on the Ukrainian military’s use of Starlink for strikes deep inside Russia may reflect divisions within the US leadership, political analyst and American affairs expert Malek Dudakov told NEWS.ru.

According to Dudakov, Washington has yet to reach a unified position on attacks against targets far from the frontline inside Russian territory. Some members of the US military and political establishment favor giving Kiev broader operational capabilities, while others are wary of the risks that further escalation could create.

Dudakov said Elon Musk also has his own reasons to be cautious about Starlink being used in such operations. The businessman earns money from supplying terminals to Ukraine, but the analyst believes Musk understands that a further expansion of the conflict could eventually become uncontrollable.

At the same time, Dudakov stressed that Musk does not have the final say over where and how technologies developed by his companies are used. In his view, those decisions ultimately remain in the hands of the US military and political leadership.

The analyst also argued that allowing Starlink to support strikes deep inside Russia could eventually damage Musk’s own interests. While cooperation involving the satellite system may generate short-term revenue, Dudakov believes the longer-term consequences could prove destructive for the entrepreneur’s business.

He identified two competing camps within the US leadership. Dudakov placed CIA Director John Ratcliffe and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio among supporters of a tougher approach. In his assessment, they could back permission for strikes deeper into Russia in an effort to weaken Moscow and improve Washington’s position in future negotiations.

The opposing camp, according to Dudakov, consists of officials who see such a step as too dangerous. They fear that expanding the scope of attacks could push the conflict toward a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO countries and create the risk of nuclear weapons being used.

Dudakov said no final decision has been made while these differences remain unresolved. He also claimed that the Ukrainian lobby and the European «party of war» continue to press Washington to approve strikes deep inside Russia, but have so far failed to secure full US backing.