Elon Musk was embroiled in a social media spat with Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday over the billionaire’s ideas on ending Russia’s invasion.
Musk asked Twitter users to weigh in on a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine that drew immediate condemnation from Ukrainians, including Zelenskyy, who responded with his own poll.
“Which @elonmusk do you like more?” Zelenskyy tweeted, offering two responses: one who supports Ukraine, one who supports Russia.
Musk, the world’s richest person, proposed U.N.-supervised elections in four occupied regions that Moscow last week moved to annex after what it called referendums. The votes were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive.
“Russia leaves if that is will of the people,” Musk wrote.
The Tesla chief executive suggested that Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, be formally recognized as Russia, that water supply to Crimea be assured and that Ukraine remain neutral. He asked Twitter users to vote “yes” or “no” on the plan.
“Dear @elonmusk, when someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn’t make them legal owner of the car or of the wheels. Even though they claim both voted in favor of it. Just saying,” Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda tweeted in response.
Musk, who is also chief executive of SpaceX, followed up his first tweet with another poll: “Let’s try this then: the will of the people who live in the Donbas & Crimea should decide whether they’re part of Russia or Ukraine.”
He said he didn’t care if his proposal was unpopular, arguing that he did care “that millions of people may die needlessly for an essentially identical outcome.”
“Russia has >3 times population of Ukraine, so victory for Ukraine is unlikely in total war. If you care about the people of Ukraine, seek peace,” he posted on Twitter.
In February, when Ukraine’s internet was disrupted following Russia’s invasion, Musk responded to a tweet by a Ukrainian government official seeking help. Musk said SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service was available in Ukraine and that SpaceX was sending more terminals to the country.
“SpaceX’s out of pocket cost to enable & support Starlink in Ukraine is ~$80M so far. Our support for Russia is $0. Obviously, we are pro Ukraine,” Musk posted on Twitter later on Monday.
Ukraine’s outspoken outgoing Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk had a blunt reaction to Musk’s peace plan. Melnyk himself faced criticism in July for defending the controversial World War II Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera.
“My very diplomatic response (to Musk) is to get lost,” tweeted Melnyk.
Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak suggested a “better peace plan” under which Ukraine took back its territories including Crimea, Russia was demilitarized and denuclearized and “war criminals” faced an international tribunal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on Ukraine to cease hostilities and negotiate after ordering a partial mobilization to bolster his forces and threatening to use nuclear weapons.
Zelenskyy has said he will never negotiate with Russia as long as Putin remained its leader.
