The United States has found another way to pressurise Ukraine to sign a mineral deal with them and that is Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system.
As per Reuters, after Ukraine rejected the mineral deal, the US may cut Kyiv’s access to Starlink satellites. The discussions about the Starlink access emerged after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined an initial proposal from US treasury secretary Scott Bessent.
The issue was raised again during a meeting between Keith Kellogg, US special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskyy on Thursday, where Ukraine was warned about possible service termination without a minerals agreement.
Starlink provides essential internet connectivity for Ukraine’s military operations. “Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,” one source stated. Zelenskyy has opposed the Trump administration’s request for $500 billion in mineral resources as compensation for wartime support, citing lack of concrete security assurances.
Recent developments show both nations’ teams working towards an agreement, with Trump expressing optimism about an imminent deal. As per the New York Times, the US has gave a revised proposal to Ukraine which is similar to the previous one but tougher.
Elon Musk initially provided numerous Starlink terminals to Ukraine following Russia’s February 2022 invasion, though he later restricted access once in autumn 2022 whilst becoming increasingly critical of Kyiv’s war management.
US Congress members remain split regarding Trump’s approach to ending the Ukraine conflict. The Atlantic Council’s Melinda Haring emphasises Starlink’s crucial role in Ukraine’s drone operations, noting the current equality between Ukraine and Russia in drone and artillery capabilities.
Ukraine previously suggested opening its critical mineral resources to allied investment as part of its “victory plan”. Trump supports this approach, seeking Ukrainian rare earths and minerals in exchange for war support. However, Zelenskyy rejected a US proposal requesting 50% access to Ukraine’s critical minerals, including graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium.
Tensions have escalated between the leaders, with Trump describing Zelenskyy as “a dictator without elections” after Zelenskyy suggested Trump was influenced by Russian misinformation regarding the war’s origins.