American tech billionaire Elon Musk is currently refusing to grant Ukraine permission to use the Starlink satellite network for targeting strikes inside Russian territory, The Atlantic reported. The refusal comes despite direct appeals from Kyiv. During a recent meeting, President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly asked US President Donald Trump to intervene and pressure Musk into lifting the geographical restrictions on the SpaceX-operated network.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Zelensky aims to utilize the satellite system to guide long-range strikes against the Russian missile batteries that routinely bombard Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. However, Trump reportedly did not give a clear answer regarding whether he would support the proposal or press Musk on the issue. Backchannel efforts hit a wall Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has also been attempting to sway the billionaire. Two of Fedorov’s close associates in Kyiv told The Atlantic that he has been using informal backchannels to reach out to Musk since stepping down from his post. Despite these efforts, Musk remains unwilling to yield. “At the moment, there is no positive decision,” one of Fedorov’s associates said on Wednesday. Musk reportedly continues to argue with Fedorov over the potential risks of Russian escalation if the Starlink network is used to facilitate deep strikes. According to the associate, Musk repeatedly tells Ukrainian officials that “it is time to make a deal” to end the war.