A tweet by Elon Musk (51) triggered violent reactions online on Monday evening. The Tesla boss posted a kind of specially invented peace plan for the war in Ukraine. He is currently letting his followers vote on the following four suggestions. Musk proposes holding UN-controlled elections in the territories annexed by Russia. If the will of the people is there to stay with Ukraine, Russia should leave the region.
Crimea is formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783. Musk calls the handover to Ukraine a “mistake” by former Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971). Musk’s other proposals: “Crimea’s water supply will be secured” and “Ukraine remains neutral”. In another tweet that followed, Musk explained his rationale for the proposal. In his opinion, Russia would organize a “full war mobilization” if Crimea was in danger, which would cause even more suffering.
In a “total war,” Ukraine’s victory is “unlikely,” Musk said. “If you care about the people of Ukraine, then you should work for peace.” The tweet sparked immediate, high-level reactions. Even Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (44) commented via Twitter and also started a survey with the brief question: “Which Elon Musk do you like better? The one who supports Ukraine or the one who supports Russia?”
Gitanas Nausesda (58), the President of Lithuania, also felt compelled to address Musk directly on Twitter: “Dear Elon Musk, if someone tries to steal the tires of your Tesla, it does not make them the rightful owner of the car or the tires. ..” The outgoing ambassador of Ukraine in Germany, Andriy Melnyk, found a harsh word in a Twitter comment: “The only result is that no Ukrainian will ever buy your shitty Tesla garbage again.”
Musk responded to some of the tweets, trying to frame his suggestion. He wrote directly to Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy: “I still support Ukraine very much. But I am convinced that further escalation of the war will cause great damage to Ukraine and possibly to the world.”
