Elon Musk calls for Ukrainian president's resignation over Starlink row

Elon Musk has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to resign, intensifying a disagreement between the tech mogul and the Kyiv administration over the use and control of Starlink satellite internet services in Ukraine.

Musk's statement, made publicly, represents a significant escalation in tensions that have been building between the SpaceX founder and Ukraine's government. The dispute centres on operational control of Starlink terminals being used across Ukrainian territory, with disagreements over military applications and bandwidth allocation.

The conflict highlights broader geopolitical complexities surrounding Ukraine's dependency on private sector infrastructure during its ongoing conflict with Russia. Starlink has emerged as a critical communications tool for Ukrainian civilians and military operations, but questions have persisted regarding command and control protocols.

Musk's call for Zelensky's removal underscores the friction between private technology interests and state requirements, particularly as Ukraine seeks to maintain sovereignty over critical infrastructure while relying on external support systems.