Agencies WASHINGTON

American 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 told Reuters.

Ukraine's continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between US and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned down an initial proposal from  US Treasury Secretary .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 Zelenskyy, 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. "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 $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid, saying the  US  has offered no specific security guarantees.