Members of the Donald Trump administration reportedly threatened to cut off Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s starlink internet services if they did not reach a favorable agreement on minerals.
Zelensky recently rejected a proposal by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that would have given American companies 50 percent ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits as a way to pay the country back for its military aid.
Zelensky argued that the deal was too focused on America’s interests and lacked provisions that would help deter future Russian aggression, according to The Associated Press.
On Friday, Reuters reported that Trump’s negotiators raised the possibility of cutting the Ukraine’s access to Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system to get a favorable deal, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to Kyiv and its military, hospitals and businesses.
“Ukraine runs on Starlink,” a source told the outlet. “They consider it their North Star… Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.”
