Mask's 'combat Challenge' To Putin Sparked Ridicule In Russia

Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk during a press tour of the Tesla Gigafactory, which will produce batteries for the electric car maker, in Sparks, Nevada, USA, July 26, 2016. REUTERS/James Glover II/File Photo

March 16 – The Kremlin may have shrugged off billionaire Elon Musk’s challenge to President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but several Russian officials stepped in to defend their leader, mocking Musk online.

The eccentric CEO of Tesla Inc tweeted on Monday: “I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to a single combat” with Ukraine at stake.

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency who has dismissed Musk as a rival space rocket manufacturer in the past, responded the same day by quoting a poem that refers to “a young imp too weak to rival me.”

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian region of Chechnya and an ally of Putin, addressed Musk by the Russian female name Ilona, which is consonant with Elon, telling him that he lacked the physical strength to fight Putin, a fan of judo and “terror.” West”.

“Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) will look unsportsmanlike if he beats a weaker opponent like you,” Kadyrov wrote, suggesting that Musk first pump up some muscles in order to “turn from gentle Ilona into courageous Elon.”

Musk hit back on Tuesday, telling Kadyrov in a tweet signed by Elona that he would have “too much of an advantage” after training.

“If he is afraid to fight, I will agree to use only my left hand, and I am not even left-handed,” he wrote.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced on Wednesday that he had booked the profile name “Elona” on his messaging app and was waiting for Musk to start using it, with Kadyrov quickly suggesting that Durov had changed it to Elon. However, in a later post, Kadyrov said he respects Musk for his character and will.

Asked about the online squabbling, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday: “We don’t follow this. We haven’t read Twitter in a long time.”

Reuters message; Editing by Nick McPhee

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