Elon Musk has said he will continue to fund the Starlink mobile internet system in Ukraine for free “indefinitely” following discussions with the US defence department.
The billionaire entrepreneur had complained last week that the service was costing his private space company SpaceX “approaching $20 million (€20.6 million) a month” and had written to the Pentagon requesting financial support.
The Pentagon on Friday confirmed that it had been discussing payments with Mr Musk’s company to ensure connectivity for Ukrainian forces, adding that it was also exploring alternatives.
But in a sudden about turn on Saturday, Mr Musk wrote on Twitter: “The hell with it ... Even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”
Will markets see a July surprise? Four key warning signs investors and pension-holders need to watch
Dublin paid half of State’s 2024 income tax while Cork delivered most from corporates
What can Irish aviation learn from the carbon-reducing experience of New Zealand?
How to make the most of your financial power at every life and career stage
When contacted by the Financial Times, Mr Musk confirmed that he would keep paying for the service in Ukraine “indefinitely”.
Mr Musk won acclaim earlier this year after intervening to bring internet services to Ukraine during the Russian invasion. However, he became embroiled in a spat with Ukrainian leaders last week after calling publicly for a negotiated settlement to end the war in the country, which would include allowing Russia to keep Crimea.
In response to a tweet quoting a Ukrainian diplomat who told Mr Musk last week to “f**k off” following his proposed peace settlement, the US-based entrepreneur appeared to threaten to pull the service in the country, writing earlier this week: “We’re just following his recommendation”.
Mr Musk had complained that his company was spending millions to “create, launch, maintain & replenish satellites & ground stations & pay telcos for access to internet via gateways”. He added that the company had also “had to defend against cyberattacks & jamming, which are getting harder”.
On Saturday, he responded to a comment on Twitter saying that “no good deed goes unpunished”, writing: “Even so, we should still do good deeds.”
The Pentagon declined to comment on the news.
The Financial Times previously revealed that some Starlink terminals used by Ukraine’s military had stopped working in areas recently liberated from Russian occupation, raising questions about whether the company was blocking the service to some parts of the front lines. — Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2022
