(Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
Calls to boycott SpaceX’s Starlink erupted over the weekend following reports that the US is pressuring Ukraine to accept a mineral deal or risk losing access to the satellite internet service.
“If this is true I will certainly cancel my [Starlink] subscription,” wrote one user on Reddit.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration raised the possibility of shutting down Ukraine’s access to Starlink after the country rejected a $500 billion deal to give the US access to critical minerals. “During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals,” Reuters said, citing three sources familiar with the negotiations.
The news is raising concerns that SpaceX CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk might be trying to undermine Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Since the conflict began, Starlink has become essential to helping the Ukrainian military maintain communications in war-torn areas of the country. Cutting off Starlink access could limit Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia.
The Reuters’ report prompted critics of Trump and Musk to post about boycotting Starlink, claiming that the US is essentially trying to extort Ukraine. On Reddit, some Starlink subscribers also wrote about one day canceling their service.
“Can't wait for the fiber to get to the house. I love Elon's services and products, even own one of the cars, but I don't want his greasy hands on my bank account and I don't want to give him anything now,” wrote one user.
“I would ditch it in a heartbeat if I didn't live on a boat in remote places with no other options,” wrote a separate user.
Musk denies the Reuters report. "This is false. Reuters is lying. They are second only to AP (Associated Propaganda) as legacy news liars," he tweeted. The official Starlink account on X also has posted: "Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine. Any rumors to the contrary are categorically false."
Musk has tangled with Reuters in the past. Last April, he said Reuters was "lying" when it reported that Tesla has scrapped plans for a low-cost EV. By the end of the year, however, Tesla had...scrapped plans for a low-cost consumer EV to focus on robotaxis.
More recently, Musk and his DOGE team said Reuters was getting paid millions in federal funds to engage in "social deception" campaigns, when the money was actually a Defense Department contract with Thomson Reuters Special Services to help the Pentagon detect social-engineering hacks, not engage in them.
Still, the controversies show how Musk's politics have been testing the loyalties of customers at Starlink and Tesla. In Starlink’s case, the satellite internet service has received rave reviews for its ability to deliver high-speed internet practically anywhere.
However, Musk’s staunch support of Trump and a far-right German political party, his Nazi-like salute at a Trump inauguration event, and efforts to decimate the federal workforce have caused some consumers to look for alternatives to Starlink.
“Yeah, I actually had to cancel Starlink for my parents. They are not willing to pay a single cent to any of Elon’s companies anymore after he supported the German fascist AfD party,” wrote one user on Twitter.
Others say they have no choice but to stick with Starlink, citing the lack of competition. “As much as I hate Musk, Starlink is pretty much my only option for decent internet,” one user wrote in early January. “The minute some other option becomes available, I'll drop it like a hot potato. Till then I'm stuck with it.”
In the meantime, the deputy prime minister of Poland, Krzysztof Gawkowski, noted the country has been helping to subsidize Starlink access in Ukraine. “We pay and will continue to pay a subscription fee for satellite internet for Ukraine. I cannot imagine that someone could decide to terminate a business contract for a commercial service, to which Poland is a party,” he tweeted.
Canceling Starlink access in Ukraine would also be a blow to SpaceX. Oleg Kutkov, an engineer in Ukraine who helps repair Starlink dishes, estimates the country has over 170,000 active Starlink dishes.
“The number of active terminals in Ukraine is greater than in the whole of Europe, making us the biggest customer,” Kutkov added. “Such a ban will lead to massive reputational losses, and many countries and customers will review their decisions and agreements [with Starlink].”
Musk, however, is following Trump's lead in attacking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.