ISTANBUL 

Elon Musk on Saturday denied reports that the US threatened to cut off Ukraine’s access to Starlink satellite internet if Kyiv refused to sign a minerals deal.

“This is false. Reuters is lying. They are second only to AP (Associated Propaganda) as legacy news liars,” Musk said on X.

The report by the London-based news agency, citing unnamed sources, claimed the US pressured Ukraine by linking Musk-owned Starlink access to a deal requiring Kyiv to cede half of its revenues from minerals, gas, and oil infrastructure.

Ukraine had previously rejected the proposal, citing the lack of security guarantees.

Additionally, US-based MSNBC has been another target of the new US administration's ongoing criticism of the media.

Criticizing the news outlet in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, President Donald Trump called it MSDNC, a blend of MSNBC and DNC (Democratic National Committee)—a slang for the outlet referring to it as having a bias in favor of the Democratic Party—and suggested it is a “threat to democracy.”