Vice President JD Vance defended Elon Musk on October 22, stating that private corporations should not navigate the Ukraine war without explicit U.S. direction amid questions over Starlink and Starshield disruptions. While Vance emphasized that the core issue is broader U.S. policy rather than Musk’s actions, he also noted that special envoy Steve Witkoff remains “optimistic” following recent peace talks with Ukrainian and Russian leadership.