Washington may disconnect Ukraine from the Starlink satellite system if Kyiv does not make concessions in negotiations on access to mineral resources, Reuters reports, citing exclusive sources. This issue became key at a meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2025, between US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the publication's sources, the American side made it clear that the lack of an agreement on strategic resources will lead to the cessation of the service, which now plays a vital role for the Ukrainian military. The sources emphasize that the loss of Starlink would be a disaster for Ukraine, effectively undermining its ability to resist in the ongoing conflict.

Amid this pressure, Zelensky quickly responded by saying that the US and Ukrainian teams had resumed work on the agreement. He noted that President Donald Trump still expects the document to be signed soon, despite the tense negotiations. Earlier, the head of Ukraine rejected the Trump administration's initial offer, which envisaged the transfer of the country's natural resources worth $ 500 billion in exchange for military support. Zelensky then emphasized that Kyiv did not receive clear security guarantees from Washington, which made the deal unacceptable. Now, under the threat of Starlink being disconnected, Kyiv's position has come under even greater pressure, and the situation has acquired a dramatic tone.

Starlink, the satellite internet system from Elon Musk's SpaceX, has been providing uninterrupted communications for the Ukrainian Armed Forces coordinating operations on the front lines since February 2022. Without this technology, the country could lose a critical advantage in the conflict, Reuters sources say.

"It's not just the internet - it's our North Star. Losing it would break us," — the publication quotes one of the insiders as saying, emphasizing how deeply Ukraine depends on the satellite network, which has become a symbol of technological support from the West.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal could still be signed on February 22, although its terms remain a matter of dispute. Zelensky previously rejected a proposal that would have given the US up to half of the undeveloped resources, calling it unfair without guarantees of protection from Russia.