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Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, categorically denied that the US could use the Starlink system as a lever of pressure on Ukraine to sign an agreement on access to its natural resources.
“This is not true. Reuters is lying. Only AP (Associated Propaganda) surpasses them in fake news,” Musk wrote on social network X, reacting to the Reuters article.
Earlier, three sources told Reuters that US negotiators pushing for US access to Ukraine’s rare earth metals raised the issue of a possible Starlink cut-off during talks with Ukrainian officials. This became especially relevant after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to sign the initial version of the agreement proposed by Washington.
For Ukraine, Starlink is a critical technology as it provides stable connectivity at the frontline and supports military communications.
Immediately after the publication of the Reuters article, Polish Vice Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said that Poland was paying for and would continue to pay for Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
“We are paying and will continue to pay for satellite internet for Ukraine. I can’t imagine that anyone could terminate a contract for a commercial service in which Poland participates,” he wrote in a post on X.
Despite Musk’s denial, it remains unclear whether the Starlink issue was actually used in diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Kyiv.
