The billionaire, based in the United States, has criticized the Ukrainian President for allegedly allowing “men to die in trenches” instead of pursuing a peaceful resolution.
Elon Musk, the tech entrepreneur, has used X to voice strong criticism against Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, claiming he is prolonging the conflict with Russia by refusing to negotiate.
Musk’s comments follow a strained meeting at the White House on Friday involving Zelensky, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance. The meeting concluded abruptly, without the anticipated minerals agreement being reached.
During a contentious discussion, Zelensky rejected Trump’s request to negotiate with Moscow, which led Trump to accuse him of being ungrateful, “gambling with World War III,” and lacking the will to end the war.
Following Zelensky’s “fiasco” in Washington, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency summit in London on Sunday to discuss ongoing Western support for Ukraine. Some European leaders suggested the possibility of deploying ground troops.
Early Sunday, Musk shared a post by Balazs Orban, political director for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, advocating for “direct negotiations with Russia” and an “immediate ceasefire and peace.” He then recirculated his 2022 peace plan, which proposed referendums in Russian-controlled areas, recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, and Ukraine’s neutrality.
The Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Kherson Region, and Zaporozhye Region—previously part of Ukraine—became Russian federal territories following referendums in 2022. Crimea and Sevastopol had previously voted to join Russia in 2014. However, Kiev continues to claim sovereignty over these regions.
“What I suggested over 2 years ago was that Ukraine should seek peace to avoid significant loss of life for no progress. Zelensky chose the latter. Now, he wants to repeat this. It’s cruel and inhumane,” Musk stated in a pinned post.
Musk followed this up with a meme showing a tram running over people, with Zelensky operating the controls. Another post displayed a bloodied chessboard next to a dining table, captioned: “The reality of war.”
He later reposted the image, adding: “EU leaders and Zelensky are enjoying lavish dinners while men are dying in trenches. How many parents will never see their sons again?”
Musk’s comments come as Zelensky seeks more funding from Western allies while resisting negotiations with Moscow. Reports suggest Washington is hesitant to approve further aid unless Ukraine agrees to negotiate.
During the summit, Starmer urged the EU and other allies to take a leading role in supporting Kiev. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau supported this, saying that “everything’s on the table.” French President Emmanuel Macron stated that deployment would only be possible “when the peace is signed.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has voiced strong objections to the potential deployment of Western peacekeeping forces. He emphasized that NATO expansion towards Russia’s borders is seen as a threat, and deploying the bloc’s troops in Ukraine, even under a different pretense, does not change this perception.