American businessman Elon Musk rejected accusations of betrayal for refusing to activate his Starlink satellite communications network near the Crimean Peninsula.

In response to a tweet stating that Musk's refusal to activate Starlink for Ukraine constitutes "a form of treason," Musk wrote on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter): "I am an American citizen and I only have this passport. No matter what happens, I will fight for America and I will die for it. The U.S. Congress has not declared war on Russia. If anyone is a traitor, it is the one who calls me that."

Musk also previously announced that he declined Ukraine's request to activate Starlink, due to his desire to help people. He expressed his belief that Starlink cannot be used for Ukrainian attacks on Crimea, as it violates the company's rules.

CNN reported last Thursday, citing a biography of Musk written by author and journalist Walter Isaacson, that Musk blocked Ukraine's access to Starlink to thwart a secret attack carried out by Ukrainian forces on the Russian fleet in Crimea. CNN quoted claims from the book's author that Musk's decision was influenced by fears of Russia using nuclear weapons in response to the Ukrainian attack on Crimea. Musk denied the channel's allegations, clarifying that his network was not operational in that area, and that he rejected Ukraine's request to activate it due to fears of a potential attack by Ukrainian forces against the Russian fleet. Musk added that if he had agreed to the request from Kyiv authorities, "SpaceX" would clearly have been involved in significant military action and escalation of the conflict."