Elon Musk’s Controversial Remarks on Zelensky Amidst US-Ukraine Tensions
Elon Musk has plunged into the escalating conflict between former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, launching an unprecedented tirade against the latter just hours after a planned press conference in Kyiv was abruptly cancelled. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and an influential advisor to Trump, took to his social media platform, X, to unleash a series of harsh criticisms aimed at Zelensky, labeling him a “disgusting, massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.”
In his remarks, Musk echoed Trump’s baseless claims made earlier in the week, which described Zelensky as a “dictator” with a mere 4 percent approval rating. He asserted that Zelensky is “despised by the people of Ukraine,” positing that this unpopularity is the reason behind his refusal to organize elections. Musk continued, asserting, “If Zelensky was genuinely loved by the people of Ukraine, he would hold an election. He is aware that he would lose in a landslide, despite having seized control of ALL Ukrainian media, hence he cancelled the election.”
Furthermore, Musk cast doubt on a recent poll indicating Zelensky’s approval rating, claiming it was manipulated by the Ukrainian President. However, he failed to provide concrete evidence to support this assertion and merely referenced a dubious right-wing news outlet. In contrast, a credible poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology reported that Zelensky’s approval rating had risen to 57 percent, up from 52 percent in December.
Given the ongoing war following Russia’s invasion, Ukraine faces significant challenges in conducting free and fair elections. The threat of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities remains high, and many citizens have fled, while others are engaged in combat, with millions living under Russian occupation. There is a palpable lack of domestic support for an election during wartime, with most opposition parties concurring that holding elections in such conditions would be impractical.
- Zelensky’s Commitment: Zelensky has stated his intention to hold new elections as soon as the war concludes, with suggestions that this could occur before the year’s end.
- Escalating Tensions: Musk’s statements come at a time of rising friction in relations between Trump and Zelensky, marked by Trump’s recent labeling of Zelensky as a “dictator” and his erroneous claim that Ukraine instigated the war with Russia.
- Concerns for US Support: There are growing apprehensions that Trump might withdraw American support for Ukraine’s defense efforts, potentially coercing the nation into a deal that would concede to all of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands, severely undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
- Cancelled Press Conference: Tensions mounted further following the cancellation of a joint press conference between Zelensky and Trump’s special envoy. The event was set to follow discussions between the Ukrainian President and retired US Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, but was cancelled at the behest of US officials, as confirmed by Zelensky’s spokesman, Serhii Nikiforov.
Nikiforov did not provide additional details regarding the cancellation, only stating that it was aligned with US preferences. The US delegation has yet to issue any immediate comments on the matter. Prior to the meeting, photographers and videographers were permitted into the room where the two leaders shook hands before taking their seats across from one another at a table in the presidential office in Kyiv.
