Elon Musk. Image Credit: SpaceX
New Delhi: Elon Musk on Friday said that SpaceX cannot “indefinitely” fund the Starlink internet service in Ukraine and send it thousands more terminals, following reports that his rocket company had asked the Pentagon to cover the costs.
In a twitter post reply, Musk stated that he is just following Ukraine diplomat Andrij Melynk’s recommendation to f**k off.
Musk stated that Starlink was spending nearly $20 million per month to maintain satellite services. He recently stated that SpaceX had invested approximately $80 million in enabling and supporting Starlink in Ukraine.
According to CNN, SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon last month stating that it could not continue to fund the Starlink service in Ukraine and that it may have to stop funding it unless the US military contributes tens of millions of dollars per month.
After the Russian invasion disrupted internet service, Musk launched Starlink in Ukraine in late February. SpaceX has since given it tens of thousands of terminals.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s vice prime minister, stated that this week Starlink services had assisted in restoring communications and energy infrastructure in crucial areas after more than 100 Russian cruise missile attacks.
Musk’s peace plan, in which he proposed that Ukraine permanently cede the Crimean region to Russia, that new referendums be held under UN supervision to determine the fate of Russian-controlled territory, and that Ukraine agree to neutrality, drew widespread criticism from Ukrainians.
Ukraine has stated that it will never agree to cede land that has been taken by force, and that lawful referendums cannot be held in occupied territory where many people have been killed or driven out.
With inputs from agencies
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