Harris and Trump make final push in must-win Pennsylvania    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters, judge rules    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Tourism Development Fund launches "Tourism Empowerment" programs to enhance sustainable growth of SMEs    Saudi crown prince, Tunisian president review bilateral relations in phone call    SFDA Chief visits premier biotechnology and medical firms in China    Al-Khereiji: Collective action in combating terrorism is a must for achieving stability and prosperity    Saudi Awwal Bank becomes the Kingdom's first bank obtaining ISO certification for quality management system in operations    10 cooperation agreements signed during Saudi-Turkish Business Forum in Istanbul    Saudi Arabia's non-oil revenues grow 6% in 9 months while Q3 budget posts SR30 billion deficit    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Enhancing zakat, tax, and customs compliance takes center stage at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Conference 2024    Neymar expected to join Al Hilal squad for AFC clash against Esteghlal, says coach Jesus    Al Qadsiah secure 2-0 victory over Al Ettifaq in first Eastern Derby since 2021    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    Teri Garr, Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Backlash after Musk says he can no longer fund Starlink satellites in Ukraine
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 15 - 10 - 2022

Elon Musk is again under fire. This time it is because he threatened to cut off financial support for Starlink in Ukraine on Friday.
These Internet terminals — produced by Musk's SpaceX company — are vital for the communication of Kiev's army on the battlefield and also for civilians to keep in touch with their loved ones amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
About 25,000 units have been sent to Ukraine to date. But Musk tweeted on Friday the "operation has cost SpaceX $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year."
He warned the space company could "not continue to fund the existing system indefinitely and send thousands of additional terminals ... it is unreasonable".
On Thursday, CNN released documents showing that SpaceX has asked the US government to help fund the technology, which could cost an estimated $400 million over the next year.
Elon Musk angered many on Twitter on Friday when he explained that in asking the Pentagon to foot the bill, he was simply following the advice of a Ukrainian diplomat, Andrij Melnyk.
A few days before, Musk published a poll on Twitter proposing his solution to end the war in Ukraine. One of the points included that Kiev give up some of its territory to Russia, causing widespread criticism.
This led to backlash on social media with Andrij Melnyk tweeting at Elon Musk: "F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you."
A Pentagon spokeswoman confirmed on Friday that the US Ministry of Defense had received a letter from SpaceX about Starlink funding, adding it is "in contact" with SpaceX and others.
Another US official said the device had been "very important" for the Ukrainian government and military to "coordinate planning and operations" since the war began in February.
Around 15% of Ukraine's Internet infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged in the conflict, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Friday's announcement about possible cutting funds for Starlink comes amid public controversy on Musk's stance towards Ukraine.
There have been recent reports of Starlink outages as Ukrainian troops attempt to retake ground occupied by Russia.
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk told the Financial Times "that he hoped Musk did not render the devices ineffective in certain areas", sparking further suspicions amid social media users.
On Tuesday, Musk rebuffed allegations that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
There have been reports that Musk claimed Ukraine does not want peace negotiations but that Russia would be willing to accept them during a closed-door meeting last month.
Euronews cannot independently verify these claims. — Euronews


Clic here to read the story from its source.