American billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk amplified a social media post saying it was a “mistake” to give Ukraine access to Starlink terminals during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The message comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Musk’s outsized political influence in an interview with German television show ZDF Magazin Royale.
“There is too much power in the hands of one very rich person. Such a concentration of power is dangerous,” Zelensky said on November 5.
The same day, Musk reposted criticism of Zelensky’s comment on X, the social media platform he owns. Instead of directly addressing Zelensky’s point regarding Musk’s extreme wealth, the post argues that Ukraine should not have had access to Starlink satellites.
“In hindsight, it was a mistake for SpaceX to send (Ukraine) thousands of free Starlink dishes and millions of dollars per month in free service at the start of the war,” the message read.
“What started as Internet access for civilians has become the backbone of autonomous destruction drones. And now, if they don’t support military use, they’re getting skewered in the press.”
Musk amplified the message without comment.
Ukraine widely uses Starlink commercial terminals and their militarized version, Starshield. In mid-October, a speed restriction on Ukraine’s Starshield service was implemented without warning, disrupting the military’s ability to intercept Russian jet drones.
Musk has refused to take responsibility for the decision, although he has publicly accused Ukraine of violating terms of service by using Starlink commercial terminals to carry out offensive drone strikes.
Ukraine has rejected Musk’s accusations, saying it uses Starshield systems only to support combat operations against Russian forces on Ukrainian territory. kyiv also said that commercial Starlink services do not operate in Russia and therefore cannot be used to strike Russian territory.
While Ukraine’s Starshield has now been restored to full capacity, the prolonged strangulation of the crucial military system has cost civilian lives, Zelensky said.
The Pentagon watchdog has rejected a bipartisan call from US senators to investigate the Starlink/Starshield disruption.
Musk, the world’s richest man, played an active role in US President Donald Trump’s second administration, taking the lead in dismantling government agencies and life-saving foreign aid programs as head of the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE).
The businessman also spent nearly half a billion dollars supporting Republican candidates in the recent midterm elections – a record spending. Despite this enormous sum, Democrats won the midterm elections and took control of both houses of Congress.
Many Democratic lawmakers have pledged to investigate Musk’s businesses and government ties as part of their political agenda.
Gn world
