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US may cut Ukraine's access to Starlink internet services over critical minerals dispute, say sources

Tensions loom over Ukraine, as Starlink internet have raised the possibility of cutting the country's access to Elon Musk's vital Starlink satellite. The event comes amid Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s denial for US’ access to the critical Earth minerals. Notably, Zelenskiy has rejected demands from Trump's administration for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid. Musk rushed thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace communications services destroyed by Russia after its February 2022 invasion. Hailed at the time as a hero in Ukraine, Musk later curtailed access at least once before in the fall of 2022 as he became more critical of Kyiv's handling of the war. Zelenskiy rejected a detailed U.S. proposal last week that would have seen Washington and U.S. firms receiving 50% of Ukraine's critical minerals. The minerals include graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium, which are the key components in electric car batteries. Since then a rift has emerged between the leaders, with Trump denouncing Zelenskiy as "a dictator without elections"

first published: Feb 23, 2025 05:01 pm