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US could cut Ukraine's access to Starlink services over minerals, say sources
- ck2 2y agowon't be this decade but Italy is working on their own system too https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-working-alternative-musks-starlink-minister-says-2025-02-19/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-working-alternative...
- Spivak 2y agoThe sad part is that imposing our will on other countries like this will surely work in the short term to much celebrating among Trump's fan club but this isn't how you treat your friends. And over time we're going to find our soft power on the world stage greatly diminished as countries learn not to take favors from the US because they'll be leveraged against you later. I know Putin has Trump on a leash but even still I'm impressed they managed to trick him and his crew that the US isn't buying something extremely valuable by throwing our support behind Ukraine. Russia forgot to put the proxy in the war and exposed their real military. You couldn't ask for a better position for the US/NATO to be in getting to hit them directly and keep your hands clean and people out of conflict.
- mopsi 2y agoAnother nail in the coffin of nuclear non-proliferation. Russia, the UK, and the US promised to refrain from such economic extortion in the Budapest Memorandum in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons: 3. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and The United States of America reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the Principles of the CSCE Final Act, to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ukraine._Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ukraine._Memorandum_on_Securi...
- ggm 2y agoAny economy proposing widescale deployment of starlink over capital investment in terrestrial communications take note. People should find ways to fund diverse LEO orbit providers. There are lots of non colliding orbital planes, Musk, and US strategic relationships do not own space. I'm pretty sure this will accelerate European planning in this space (-sorry) anyway.
- oldpersonintx 2y ago[dead]
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- morkalork 2y agoHow is this not extortion on a grand scale? What next, chopping off the hands of miners if quotas aren't met à la King Leopold II?
- JumpCrisscross 2y agoIt’s a recapitulation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, with the modern distinction being between nuclear states and the apparently less sovereign.
- yostrovs 2y agoIt seems this will be a way for Ukraine to pay for its defense, since Europe is not willing to cover the cost and the US is no longer willing to do it either. It also puts countries that live under the US umbrella in a position to start thinking about their own security. For Ukraine this seems like a win, allowing them to defend themselves at the cost of things underground that they haven't cared to touch, all while receiving protection from the US.
- ano-ther 2y agoThe USA and Europe are on par when it comes to military aid to Ukraine, both with around 62bn EUR. The US spent 45bn EUR on other aid, while Europe spent 70bn. See the charts on page 4 and 5 here: https://www.ifw-kiel.de/fileadmin/Dateiverwaltung/Subject_Dossiers_Topics/Ukraine/Ukraine_Support_Tracker/3rd_Aniv_Report.pdf https://www.ifw-kiel.de/fileadmin/Dateiverwaltung/Subject_Do... Demanding 500bn in return seems quite a bit. https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-demands-500b-in-rare-earths-from-ukraine-for-support/ https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-demands-500b-in-rare-e...
- nobankai 2y ago[flagged]
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- jxjnskkzxxhx 2y agoTrump just fired the chair of the joint chiefs of staff fyi.
- throwawaymanbot 2y ago[dead]
- andrewinardeer 2y agoLooks like Trump is treating the government expenditure like a business and wants a ROI.