Ukraine fears Musk may cut vital Starlink internet amid Trump pressure

With the pausing of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid and of intelligence sharing with Ukraine, there are fears in the country that billionaire Elon Musk’s vital Starlink internet service could also be cut. Thousands of Starlink terminals are working on Ukraine’s battlefields. They serve as commanders’ eyes and ears, providing access to drone footage in real time and maintaining command and control communications across the sprawling front. Front-line commanders are increasingly concerned that the military has grown too reliant on Starlink, a product of Musk’s SpaceX, and it could become the latest pressure point for the White House as it pushes Ukraine to engage in peace talks with Russia and sign a deal giving the United States access to its minerals. Musk has publicly denied reports that U.S. officials had implied Ukraine could lose access to Starlink if it refused to sign the mineral agreement, but across Ukraine, the armed forces and their allies are already considering their options.