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Secretary of State Marco Rubio denies that Ukraine will be excluded from Elon Musk's Starlink service

Both Republicans used their X accounts to clarify and deny speculation that the key satellite service for Ukraine in its war with Russia will be cut off.

A Ukrainian serviceman stands next to the Starlink antenna.

A Ukrainian serviceman stands next to the Starlink antenna.AFP

Agustina Blanco
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, via his X account, dismissed a report that Ukraine will be cut off from Elon Musk's Starlink service.

They’re "just making things up," Rubio said. He added: "No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink. And say thank you because without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."

For his part, Elon Musk, also used his X account to refer to the matter and wrote:

"I literally challenged Putin to one on one physical combat over Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off."

"What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose."

"Anyone who really cares, really thinks and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop."

“PEACE NOW!!!,” the billionaire wrote.

Rumors of a possible cut emerged after a Reuters report suggested the United States could use access to Starlink to leverage itself in negotiations with Kyiv over natural resources.

Both Rubio and Musk denied these claims, aligning themselves in their rejection of the narrative and highlighting the strategic role of the internet service during the war with Russia.

Starlink's relevance to the war

Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Starlink has played a crucial role in Ukraine, providing connectivity in areas where ground infrastructure has been destroyed. With more than 42,000 active terminals in the country - many funded by allies such as Poland - the service has been essential for military and civilian communications.

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