Billionaire Elon Musk has put the blame squarely on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for prolonging his country's war with Russia. Musk's remarks came amid growing tensions between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, especially after a televised heated exchange at the White House.
In a post on X, the Tesla CEO repeated his long-standing belief that Ukraine should have prioritised diplomacy over conflict.
"What I said over 2 years ago was that Ukraine should seek peace or suffer severe loss of life for no gains. The latter was Zelensky's choice. Now, he wants to do that again. This is cruel and inhumane," Musk wrote.
What I said over 2 years ago was that Ukraine should seek peace or suffer severe loss of life for no gains.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 2, 2025
The latter was Zelensky's choice.
Now, he wants to do that again.
This is cruel and inhumane. https://t.co/44DZhnH98s
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Musk had proposed a "peace" settlement in October the same year. His plan included measures such as redoing elections in annexed regions under UN supervision, formally recognising Crimea as part of Russia, ensuring water supply to Crimea, and keeping Ukraine neutral (avoiding NATO membership).
At the time, Musk's unsolicited plan faced widespread backlash from Ukrainian officials, including President Zelensky, who accused him of parroting Russian propaganda, according to CBS News. Still, the billionaire has remained firm in his position, now directly blaming Zelensky for the ongoing bloodshed.
Musk's latest attack came after a high-stakes meeting between Zelensky, Donald Trump, and JD Vance at the White House. Trump pressed Zelensky on whether Ukraine was willing to make territorial concessions to Russia, a position that has been a sticking point for the US administration.
Zelensky reminded the room of Ukraine's failed negotiations with Russia before the full-scale invasion in 2022. The exchange became more heated, with Trump accusing Zelensky of "gambling with World War III" by refusing to negotiate with Russia.
When Zelensky continued to defend Ukraine's diplomatic stance, Vance went on to label him "ungrateful" and "disrespecting the US President."
Earlier, Musk accused Zelensky of corruption and cancelling elections to remain in power. He claimed that Ukrainians "despised" their leader and supported Trump's decision to exclude him from US-Russia peace talks.
Musk further alleged that Zelensky was running a "massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers." His remarks coincided with growing pressure from the White House for Ukraine to "tone down" its criticism of Trump and accept a minerals deal with the US.
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