Musk Questions Starlink Internet Funding: 'Not Forever'

Created: 2022-10-15 07:23

By: Michelle Brey

Elon Musk questions funding for Starlink satellites.

© Odd Andersen/AFP

They are one of the game changers in the Ukraine war: Elon Musk's Starlink satellites.

However, funding is now causing a stir.

A hint from the tech billionaire?

Kyiv/Munich – Shortly after Russia's war of aggression began, it was high-tech billionaire Elon Musk who helped Ukraine immensely with the Starlink system.

Starlink provides fast Internet connections via satellite.

In areas where there is no longer any access to mobile communications and the Internet due to destroyed infrastructure, it serves both civilians and the Ukrainian military as a central means of communication.

A significant advantage for Volodymyr Zelenskyy's troops.

The armed forces rely, among other things, on the Internet connections in their counter-offensive.

But is there now a turning point during the Ukraine war?

"False": Elon Musk does not want to "finance forever" Starlink for Ukraine in the war

Elon Musk questioned the funding of Ukraine's Internet offering through his company SpaceX's satellite service.

"SpaceX doesn't want to get past issues back in, but it can't fund the existing system forever either," he wrote via Twitter on Friday (October 14).

"That's absurd."

The CNN news service previously reported that Musk had asked the US Department of Defense to pay for the costs.

"We are unable to donate more receiving equipment to Ukraine or fund the existing terminals indefinitely," CNN quoted as saying in a September letter from the company to the US Department of Defense.

CNN Report: Starlink System Costs in Ukraine War

According to CNN, the SpaceX letter went on to say that the operation will cost more than $120 million by the end of the year.

In the next twelve months it will be almost 400 million dollars.

In July, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valeryi Zalushnyi requested nearly 8,000 additional Starlink terminals, according to CNN, citing additional documents.

Musk said last week that SpaceX had already spent $80 million (€82 million) on the Ukraine internet offering.

According to CNN, however, SpaceX figures show that around 85 percent of the first 20,000 internet terminals for Ukraine were at least partially paid for by countries such as the USA and Poland.

They also came up for around 30 percent of the connection costs.

Musk in the criticism: closeness to Putin?

- Melnyk tough: "Piss off"

Musk recently drew the ire of the government in Kyiv with a “peace” plan with pro-Russian proposals.

Among other things, he advocated new votes in Ukrainian regions for a connection to Russia.

The outgoing Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, responded on Twitter with the usual sharpness: "Fuck off" is my very diplomatic answer to you, Elon Musk." Most recently, the tech billionaire denied that Proximity to Kremlin boss Putin, but critics doubt that.

also read

Electricity price increase: Up to 2300 euros more per year - It's getting really expensive with these suppliers

Electricity price: Up to 120 percent more for existing contracts - these suppliers increase the most

Now, when a Twitter user linked Musk's request for Pentagon funding for the Starlink bid to Melnyk's statement, Musk replied, "We're just following his recommendation" — adding the emoji of a man shrugging.

Meanwhile, Putin is threatening further attacks on Ukraine.

He wanted to catch up on failed attacks, he said on Friday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's counteroffensive continues.