Washington: American negotiators have begun to exert pressure for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals. They have suggested the possibility of reducing Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s crucial Starlink satellite internet system. If this happens, internet services in Ukraine could be disrupted, which would also be reflected in the ongoing war with Russia.
This step is being anticipated after Donald Trump recently labelled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a dictator. Trump has been consistently compelling Ukraine for a ceasefire with Russia.
Ukraine’s access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought into discussion between USA and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned down an initial proposal from US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, the sources said. Starlink provides critical internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military. The issue came up again during meetings between US Special Ukraine Envoy Keith Kellogg and Zelensky on Thursday, February 20, a source familiar with the talks said.
During the meeting, Ukraine was told that if it does not reach an agreement on critical minerals, it will face the shutdown of internet service. A source said, “Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star. Losing Starlink in such a situation would be a huge blow.”
Zelenskyy has denied access to highly precious minerals worth $500 billion as wartime reimbursement to Washington, stating that the U.S. has not provided any specific security guarantees.
On Friday, February 21, the Ukrainian president said that American and Ukrainian teams were working on an agreement while Trump stated that he hopes a deal will be signed soon. American lawmakers are divided on Trump’s efforts to quickly end the Ukraine war, with some questioning Musk’s rapid efforts to remove thousands of federal employees and shut down federal agencies.
Atlantic Council senior fellow Melinda Haring stated that Starlink is crucial for Ukraine’s drone operations, which are a key pillar of its military strategy. Haring said, “Losing Starlink would be a game changer.”
She noted that Ukraine is now on par with Russia in terms of drone usage and artillery shells at a 1:1 ratio. Ukraine has a wide range of drone capabilities, including maritime drones and surveillance drones, as well as long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
Elon Musk sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace the communication services destroyed by Russia after the February 2022 invasion. Celebrated as a hero in Ukraine, Musk later reduced access at least once in the fall of 2022 as he became more critical of Kyiv’s approach to dealing with the war. Last autumn, Ukraine proposed the idea of opening its critical minerals for investment by allies.
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