Elon Musk, a billionaire and close ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, mocked on Nov. 16 President Volodymyr Zelensky for saying that Ukraine is an independent country that cannot be forced to "sit and listen."
Initially a supporter of Ukraine, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO and one of the world's richest people has made progressively controversial remarks about the besieged country as the war progressed.
The billionaire reposted a modified excerpt from Zelensky's interview with the Suspilne broadcaster shared on X, which read: "The U.S. cannot force us to 'sit and listen' at the negotiating table. We are an independent country."
Musk added his own comments, mockingly saying, "(His) sense of humor is amazing." He also attached a link to a BBC article published in 2021, presenting Zelensky as a "comedian who had no experience of politics when elected."
The article was updated after the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, saying that the president "has suddenly emerged as a convincing war leader."
He sense of humor is amazing 😂https://t.co/4BL4rTXaZS https://t.co/pacq5vNkza
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2024
In the interview with Suspilne, Zelensky was asked what messages he received from Trump regarding possible negotiations with Russia. The U.S. president-elect previously said he would end the war within "24 hours," and his team pledged to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table.
"We are independent Ukraine. I think that during this war, our people and I personally, in negotiations with the U.S., with Trump, Biden, and European leaders, have shown that the rhetoric 'sit and listen' does not work with us," Zelensky responded.
Musk made the post shortly after two U.S. Democratic senators called upon the government to investigate reports of Musk's communications with Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin.
The Wall Street Journal’s recent report cited U.S., European, and Russian officials who claimed Musk had several conversations with Putin and Russian Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko.
Musk responded on his X network that he is "going to find out who's making these accusations and nuke them."
The billionaire is seen as becoming increasingly influential in Trump's team and has been tapped to lead the "Department of Government Efficiency," a newly-proposed advisory body.
According to Axios, Musk joined on a phone call between Zelensky and Trump shortly after the latter's election victory, reportedly saying he would continue to support Ukraine through his Starlink satellites.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
