Elon Musk has sparked an online row with Ukraine’s president after asking Twitter users to weigh his ideas on ending the Russian war.
In a tweet, Musk proposed UN-supervised elections in four occupied territories that Moscow has mistakenly annexed after so-called referendums. The votes have been described as illegal and compulsory by Kyiv and Western governments. “Russia goes if it is the will of the people,” Musk wrote.
The Tesla boss also suggested officially recognizing Crimea, which Moscow occupied in 2014, as Russia, ensuring Crimea’s water supply and keeping Ukraine neutral. He asked Twitter users to vote yes or no for his idea.
Peace between Ukraine and Russia:
– Rerun of the elections in the annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia goes if that is the will of the people.
– Crimea has officially been part of Russia since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).
– Ensured water supply for Crimea.
– Ukraine remains neutral.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
The tweet enraged Ukrainians, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded with his own poll.
“Which @elonmusk do you like more?”, Zelenskyi tweetedand offers two answers: one that supports Ukraine, or one that supports Russia.
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak proposed a “better peace plan” under which Ukraine would retake its territories, including Crimea; Russia has been demilitarized and denuclearized; and “war criminals” faced international tribunals.
The outspoken outgoing ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, reacted bluntly.
“Fuck off is my very diplomatic response to you @elonmusk,” Melnyk tweeted.
Other European leaders have also spoken out against Musk’s plan.
“Dear @elonmusk, if someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, that doesn’t make them the rightful owner of the car or the wheels. Although they claim both voted for it. Just saying,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda tweeted in response.
Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX, followed up his initial tweet with another poll: “Then let’s try it this way: let the will of the people living in Donbass and Crimea decide whether they go to Russia or to Ukraine.” belong.”
He said he didn’t care if his proposal was unpopular, arguing that he cared “that millions of people die unnecessarily for an essentially identical outcome”.
In February, when Ukraine’s internet went down after the Russian invasion, Musk responded to a tweet from a Ukrainian government official seeking help. Musk said that SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service is available in Ukraine and that SpaceX is broadcasting more terminals.
With Portal and Agence France-Presse