Musk denies that U.S. will drop Starlink support for Ukraine over minerals
Yesterday at 03:06 PM
Following a report that the U.S. government may be threatening to turn off SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine unless the country agrees to a minerals deal, Elon Musk has responded by saying that the reports aren’t true.
On Saturday, a Reuters report cited three unnamed sources that claimed U.S. negotiators had brought up the possibility of turning off Starlink in Ukraine, after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a proposal earlier this month from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Starlink has played a crucial role for the military staying connected in the embattled country, and sources alleged that the officials were told in a meeting that the services could face an imminent shutoff.
“Ukraine runs on Starlink,” one source said. “They consider it their North Star. Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.”
In a post on X on Saturday following the report, Musk denied the claims, saying that the publication was lying.
“This is false,” Musk wrote in the post. “Reuters is lying. They are second only to AP (Associated Propaganda) as legacy news liars.”
Musk did not disclose whether Starlink had been brought up in such negotiation surrounding a potential $500 billion mineral contract to repay the U.S. for aid during Russia’s invasion, though Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukraine was working on a deal and expects it to be agreed upon soon.
READ MORE ON SPACEX’S STARLINK: Elon Musk explains why SpaceX is asking the Pentagon to pay for Starlink service in Ukraine
"Losing Starlink would be a game changer," says Melinda Haring, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow.
SpaceX began providing Starlink equipment to Ukraine in 2022 following the invasion from Russia, and after the country’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov reached out to Musk for help. By the end of 2022, SpaceX was thought to have exceeded $100 million in support for Ukraine through Starlink, though Musk said it had been closer to $80 million.
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