Trump threatens to help Putin win Ukraine war as row with Zelensky escalates | World | News

Donald Trump is threatening to cut off Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet system, as he tries to force Kyiv to agree to US demands for reparations.

The White House wants President Zelensky to sign a US$500 billion (£396bn) deal that would give the US half of Ukraine‘s mineral resources.

Trump has claimed the deal is payback for US military aid given to Ukraine over the course of the war, which is approaching its three year anniversary tomorrow.

Starlink plays a vital role for the Ukrainian army on the frontlines, as it fights Russia.

The system allows Ukraine‘s army to get real-time video drone footage of the battlefield and to conduct precision strikes against Russian targets.

Reuters reported that Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg warned Ukraine that the White House could turn off Starlink at a meeting on Thursday with Zelensky in Kyiv, if he did not sign the deal.

The Russians also use Starlink and would gain a huge advantage, if they were to retain access, while Ukraine‘s was disconnected.

This would in effect help the Kremlin to win the war. A senior Ukraine official told the Guardian that the threat amounted to blackmail.

Ukraine‘s frontline troops use Starlink all the time and it was fitted on advanced naval drones used to sink Russian ships in the Black Sea.

Ukraine‘s military is now scrambling to find alternatives to Elon Musk‘s satellite internet system.

Zelensky has indicated his willingness to accommodate Trump’s demands, but has emphasised he cannot “sell out” his country.

The Ukraine President has so far refused to sing the deal, arguing it lacks any clear US security guarantees.

Countries worldwide have allocated £222 billion in aid to Ukraine, £66 billion per year, according to data from the Kiel Institute, a German think-tank.

America remains the single most important donor by a wide margin but European countries, including the EU, have collectively surpassed its efforts, with £109 billion in allocated aid compared with America’s £94 billion.

The US has contributed slightly more when not comes to military aid.

However, almost 90% of the financial aid from EU institutions has been in the form of loans, while roughly 60% of America’s is given as grants.