The United States is allegedly leveraging Ukraine's access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service as a negotiation tool regarding critical mineral rights.

Reports suggest that U.S. officials have indicated that they might cut off Starlink services in Ukraine if a deal on mineral resources isn’t achieved.

This development comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned down an initial U.S. offer that proposed $500 billion in mineral assets in return for ongoing support.

Since its introduction to address infrastructure damage from the ongoing conflict, Starlink has played a crucial role in ensuring internet connectivity in Ukraine, particularly for military operations.

The potential cessation of this service raises alarms about Ukraine's communication capabilities.

In light of this, Poland has stated that it is funding Ukraine's Starlink subscriptions and intends to keep doing so, having already provided 20,000 units since the onset of the conflict.

These negotiations are taking place amid wider geopolitical tensions, with recent U.S.-Russia discussions occurring without Ukrainian involvement, which has caused unease among European allies regarding possible changes in support and strategy.