SpaceX cannot fund Ukraine’s vital Starlink ‘indefinitely’: Musk

Elon Musk on Friday said SpaceX could not “indefinitely” provide funding for Starlink’s use in Ukraine, threatening to pull the technology unless the US government starts to pay the bill.

“SpaceX is not asking to recoup past expenses, but also cannot fund the existing system indefinitely *and* send several thousand more terminals that have data usage up to 100X greater than typical households. This is unreasonable,” Musk tweeted.

The announcement comes after the billionaire’s “peace proposal” on Twitter—that suggested Ukraine cede territory—received severe criticisms from Ukraine officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

The Starlink satellite internet has played a pivotal role in keeping Ukraine’s military online, providing critical assistance to Ukraine and helping its troops to actively coordinate on battlefields. It has already cost SpaceX $80 million, according to Musk, who says the expenses will cost $100 million by the end of the year.