US negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine's critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country's access to Elon Musk's vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
Ukraine's continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between the United States and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from US 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 US special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks.
During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss closed negotiations.
"Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star," said the source. "Losing Starlink ... would be a massive blow."
Zelenskiy has rejected demands from President Donald Trump's administration for $US500 billion ($NZ870 billion) in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid, saying the US has offered no specific security guarantees.
On Friday, the Ukrainian president said the US and Ukrainian teams were working on an agreement and Trump said he expects a deal will be signed soon.
Musk rushed thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace communications services destroyed by Russia after its February 2022 invasion.
Hailed as a hero in Ukraine, Musk later curtailed access at least once before in the fall of 2022 as he became more critical of Kyiv's handling of the war.
US lawmakers are divided over Trump's efforts to find a quick end to the Ukraine war and some have raised questions about Musk's rapid-fire efforts to cull thousands of federal workers and shut down Federal agencies.
Melinda Haring, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, said Starlink was essential for Ukraine’s operation of drones, a key pillar of its military strategy.
“Losing Starlink would be a game changer,” Haring said, noting that Ukraine was now at 1:1 parity with Russia in terms of drone usage and artillery shells. Ukraine has a wide range of different drone capabilities, ranging from sea drones and surveillance drones to long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Ukrainian embassy in Washington, the White House and the US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SpaceX, which operates Starlink, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine previously floated the idea of opening its critical minerals to investment by allies. This was part of a "victory plan" that sought to put it in the strongest position for talks and force Moscow to the table.
Trump has embraced the idea, saying he wants Ukraine to supply the US with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.
Trump reverses course
Zelenskiy rejected a detailed US proposal last week that would have seen Washington and US firms receiving 50% of Ukraine's critical minerals, which include graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium, a key component in electric car batteries.
Since then a rift has emerged between the leaders, with Trump denouncing Zelenskiy as "a dictator without elections" on Wednesday after Zelenskiy said Trump was trapped in a Russian disinformation bubble, a response to the US president suggesting Ukraine started the war.
However, Trump reversed course on Friday, saying Russia did in fact invade Ukraine, and that Kyiv would soon sign a minerals agreement with the US.
The president had said on Tuesday that Ukraine "should have never started" the war three years ago, prompting a wave of criticism both domestically and internationally.
But pressed on the subject in an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday, he acknowledged Russia had invaded Ukraine on the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Russia attacked, but they shouldn't have let him attack," Trump said, adding that Zelenskiy and then-US President Joe Biden should have taken steps to avert the invasion.
Speaking at a White House event earlier on Friday, Trump was critical of Zelenskiy while refraining from negative comments about Putin.
"I've had very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine," Trump said. "They don't have any cards, but they're playing tough."
