US officials have reportedly pressured Ukraine to grant access to its vast reserves of critical minerals, even raising the possibility of cutting off the country’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that these discussions intensified after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected an initial proposal from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Starlink, owned by SpaceX, has been vital to Ukraine’s communications infrastructure, particularly for military operations in the ongoing war against Russia.
The service was rushed to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, replacing damaged telecommunications networks and becoming an essential tool for military coordination, drone operations, and internet connectivity across the war-torn nation.
During discussions between US and Ukrainian officials, the issue of Starlink’s continued availability was brought up again on Thursday in a meeting between US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and Zelensky.
According to a source briefed on the talks, Ukraine was warned that its access to Starlink could be shut off imminently if an agreement on critical minerals was not reached. “Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,” the source emphasized. “Losing Starlink would be a massive blow.”
Tensions have escalated between Zelensky and the US over demands made by President Donald Trump’s administration, which seeks $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s mineral wealth as repayment for wartime aid. Zelensky has pushed back, arguing that Washington has offered no firm security guarantees in return.
On Friday, Zelensky stated that both US and Ukrainian teams were working on a potential agreement, and Trump expressed optimism that a deal would soon be signed. However, concerns persist over the use of essential military infrastructure like Starlink as leverage in negotiations.
Ukraine holds substantial reserves of key critical minerals, including graphite, uranium, titanium, and lithium—an essential component in electric vehicle batteries.
In an effort to strengthen its position in negotiations and pressure Moscow into peace talks, Kyiv previously floated the idea of opening its mineral resources to investment from allied nations as part of a broader “victory plan.”
Trump has embraced this concept, emphasizing that Ukraine should supply rare earths and other minerals to the US in exchange for continued financial and military support.
However, Zelensky rejected a detailed US proposal last week that would have given Washington and US firms a 50% stake in Ukraine’s critical mineral resources. This refusal has widened the rift between the two leaders.
The situation took an even sharper turn when Trump denounced Zelensky as “a dictator without elections” following the Ukrainian president’s remarks suggesting that Trump was influenced by Russian disinformation.
The tension underscores the geopolitical complexity of the US-Ukraine alliance and the evolving nature of global power dynamics.
The potential loss of Starlink is a deeply concerning prospect for Ukraine, as it remains a cornerstone of its military and technological capabilities. As Melinda Haring, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, put it: “Losing Starlink would be a game changer.” She noted that Ukraine has reached near parity with Russia in drone and artillery capabilities, and any disruption in Starlink access could shift that balance.