US negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter say.

Ukraine’s continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between US and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.

Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.

The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the US special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters.

During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shut-off of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss closed negotiations.

“Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,” the source said.

“Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.”

Zelenskiy has rejected demands from President Donald Trump’s administration for $US500 billion ($A787 billion) in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid, saying the US has offered no specific security guarantees.

On Friday, the Ukrainian president said the US and Ukrainian teams were working on an agreement and Trump said he expected a deal would be signed soon.

Musk rushed thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace communications services destroyed by Russia after its February 2022 invasion.

Hailed as a hero in Ukraine, Musk curtailed access in 2022 as he became more critical of Kyiv’s handling of the war.

Melinda Haring, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, said Starlink was essential for Ukraine’s operation of drones, a key pillar of its military strategy.

“Losing Starlink would be a game changer,” Haring said, noting that Ukraine was now at 1:1 parity with Russia in terms of drone usage and artillery shells.

Ukraine has a wide range of drone capabilities – from sea drones and surveillance drones to long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Ukrainian embassy in Washington, the White House and the US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

SpaceX, which operates Starlink, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This post was originally published on Michael West.