SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said before the U.S. Department of Defense came back with an answer regarding taking over funding for Ukraine's use of Starlink satellites, he told Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tha "SpaceX would not turn off Starlink even if (the Pentagon) refused to provide funding," according to his Oct. 24.
Fedorov confirmed his claim, adding that the technology was "critically important for Ukraine."
On Oct. 14, CNN reported that Elon Musk's SpaceX had asked Pentagon to take over funding for Ukraine's use of Starlink, which SpaceX claimed would cost more than $120 million for the rest of 2022. So far, roughly 20,000 Starlink satellite units have been donated to Ukraine, according to CNN.
On the same day, Fedorov wrote that Elon Musk was "among the world's top private donors supporting Ukraine," while Starlink was "an essential element" of Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
On Oct. 4, Musk posted a poll on Twitter proposing a several-point plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine. He suggested that Crimea should be recognized as a part of Russia, Ukraine must stay neutral and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts should hold a vote "under U.N. supervision" on whether they want to be a part of Russia or Ukraine.
This "plan" was seen as heavily pro-Russian and caused a storm of replies from Ukrainians and supporters of Ukraine.
