American negotiators are considering the possibility of disconnecting Ukraine from the Starlink satellite internet system of Elon Musk's company if Ukraine does not agree to their conditions.
Reuters reported this, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
According to the sources of the publication, U.S. negotiators are putting pressure on Kyiv, demanding access to Ukrainian minerals. The possibility of disconnecting the country from Starlink is being considered as one of the levers of pressure.
“Ukraine's continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned down an initial proposal from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.
Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.
The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskyy, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks,” the agency noted.
During the meeting, Ukraine was told it would face an imminent service cutoff if it did not sign a minerals deal, a source told Reuters.
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