Musk denies US threat to cut Starlink over Ukraine minerals deal

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has denied reports that the United States threatened to shut off Starlink in Ukraine unless Kyiv agreed to a minerals deal.

Responding to a report by Reuters, Musk called the claim "false" and accused the news agency of lying. He offered no evidence to back up his statement.

His response came after the Kyiv Independent shared the news, which cited anonymous sources alleging that Starlink's continued operation in Ukraine was being tied to an agreement over mineral resources.

Musk, currently the world's richest man, heads the U.S. President Donald Trump-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an organization tasked with eliminating waste from the federal budget.

The U.S. has threatened to cut Ukraine’s access to Starlink if Kyiv doesn’t agree to a critical minerals deal, Reuters reported on Feb. 21, citing sources. Negotiations are ongoing after President Zelensky refused an initial proposal, though Trump said a deal is near.

SpaceX began providing Starlink terminals to Ukraine shortly after the full-scale invasion, giving Kyiv a crucial communications advantage on the battlefield. Since then, however, Musk has grown increasingly vocal in criticizing Ukraine.

Musk, who Trump has tasked with eliminating "fraud" and "waste" from the government budget, has called for shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an organization that provides vital humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He has also amplified Russian disinformation and mocked Zelensky for calling Ukraine an independent country. Musk's comments on X are often misleading or outright false.