Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has refuted claims that the United States threatened to cut off Starlink services in Ukraine unless Kyiv agreed to a deal involving mineral resources. Responding to a report by Reuters, Musk labeled the allegations as "false" and accused the news agency of dishonesty, though he did not provide any evidence to substantiate his rebuttal.
The controversy began when the Kyiv Independent shared a report citing anonymous sources who claimed that Starlink's ongoing operations in Ukraine were contingent upon an agreement over the country's mineral resources. Musk quickly took to social media to deny the allegations, stating, "This is false. Reuters is lying. They are second only to AP (Associated Propaganda) as legacy news liars."
According to the Reuters report published on February 21, 2025, the U.S. had allegedly threatened to sever Ukraine’s access to Starlink if Kyiv did not agree to a critical minerals deal. The report cited unnamed sources and mentioned that negotiations were ongoing after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially rejected the proposal. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, reportedly indicated that a deal was close to being finalized.
Adding to the speculation, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine's parliament, told Japanese media outlet NHK that Ukraine aimed to finalize an agreement with the U.S. regarding its natural resources by February 24.
Starlink, a satellite internet service provided by Musk's company SpaceX, has played a pivotal role in Ukraine's defense efforts since the full-scale Russian invasion began. The service has provided Kyiv with a critical communications advantage on the battlefield. Despite this, Musk has increasingly voiced criticism of Ukraine in recent months.
Musk, who currently holds the title of the world's richest person, also heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an organization established under the Trump administration to eliminate waste from the federal budget. In this capacity, Musk has advocated for the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides essential humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Additionally, Musk has been accused of amplifying Russian disinformation and mocking President Zelensky for asserting Ukraine's status as an independent nation.
Musk's statements on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) have frequently been criticized as misleading or outright false, further fueling debates about his influence and the accuracy of his public pronouncements. As the situation unfolds, the allegations surrounding Starlink's role in U.S.-Ukraine negotiations remain a contentious topic, with Musk vehemently denying any connection between the service and a potential mineral resources deal.
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