Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday (Feb 23) called news agency Reuters' report a lie. The reporting was about a possible shutdown of Starlink in Ukraine due to a dispute over mineral resources. 

Advertisment

Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that the US has threatened to cut Ukraine's access to Starlink if Kyiv doesn't agree to a critical minerals deal. 

In a post on X, Musk called Reuters report "false", and also attacked The Associated Press, labelling it "Associated Propaganda". 

He wrote, "This is false. Reuters is lying. They are second only to AP (Associated Propaganda) as legacy news liars." 

Advertisment

Also read: What the 'puck'? Trudeau, in an apparent dig at Trump, celebrates Canada's 3-2 win over US, says 'You can’t take our country  

The sources told the news agency that Ukraine's continued access to Starlink was brought up in discussions between US and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned down an initial proposal from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 

The issue was raised again when Keith Kellogg, the US special Ukraine envoy, and Zelensky met on Thursday.

Advertisment

Also read: Stockholm Syndrome? Israeli hostage seen kissing Hamas militants on head after release. Watch video 

Ukraine was told during the meeting that it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source. 

Starlink provides internet connectivity to Ukraine, which is crucial for the war-torn nation and its military. As quoted by Reuters, the source said, "Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star, Losing Starlink... would be a massive blow." 

Also read: Hamas murdered young hostages? Israel claims 'terrorists' killed 10-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel Bibas with 'bare hands' 

White House bars AP 

Recently, the White House blocked an AP reporter from an event in the Oval Office after demanding the news agency alter its style on the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump has ordered to be renamed the Gulf of America. 

When the AP reporter tried to enter the White House event the next day, he was turned away. Later, a second AP reporter was barred from a late-evening event in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room. 

Also read: Bus travelling from Mata Vaishno Devi to Delhi skids off-road near Jammu; driver dead, 17 injured

Julie Pace, who is AP's senior vice president and executive editor, had called the administration’s move unacceptable. "It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism," Pace said in a statement. 

"Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP's speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment," Pace added. 

(With inputs from agencies)