Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, recently said that the United States should stop sending aid to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian war. According to Musk, there was no point in wasting all of this money, as he believes Russia will win.
These latest comments from X’s owner came during a Twitter Spaces event that was held with Republican senators and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Musk Says US Spending Does Not Help Ukraine
Recently, many GOP politicians have begun to fight against the idea that the United States should continue to send money to Ukraine. Since February 2022, after Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, the U.S. has sent money and aid to help support Kyiv.
Now, Elon Musk is entering the fray by also saying that US aid to Ukraine should stop. “This spending does not help Ukraine; prolonging the war does not help Ukraine,” he reportedly said in a Twitter Space event. “Having these boys die for nothing is wrong and needs to stop.”
Musk Doesn’t Believe Putin Will Lose
Musk also seemed to insinuate that the U.S. helping Ukraine was a lost cause. According to Musk, there’s no way that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would lose the war.
Musk also said that Putin may be “assassinated” if he were to leave Ukraine without some type of victory. All of this, in Musk’s view, results in Ukraine losing the war and Russia winning.
Musk Encourages Citizens To Call Their Reps
Saying the Ukraine war was a lost cause isn’t the only thing Musk talked about during this Twitter Spaces event. He also encouraged US citizens to call their representatives and tell them to not support the Ukraine funding bill.
Though Musk encouraged this action, he also stated that he wasn’t a Putin apologist. According to the billionaire, his companies have undermined Russia more than any other corporation.
The History Between Ukraine And Musk
When Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2022, much of the world rallied around Ukraine — including many Republican politicians. Musk himself came to Ukraine’s aid and allowed them to use Starlink satellite receivers to help Ukrainians continue to have internet access.
However, slowly many in the GOP — and Musk himself — have begun to backtrack on their initial support of Ukraine and their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Now, many House Republicans have fought to keep the U.S. from sending more aid to Ukraine.
The Musk-Russia Link
Since beginning to walk back his involvement with Ukraine, Musk has seemingly repeated Kremlin talking points when discussing how the war could end.
In October 2023, Musk tweeted about how peace could be restored between the two countries. However, he also said that Ukraine must cede territory to Russia to allow the war to end — something Russia has long said, but Ukraine has denied.
Russia Backing Musk
After publicly stating this, Russia backed Musk by saying that his proposed plan for peace was “positive.”
Recent reports also seem to suggest that Musk is allowing Russia to use Starlink — something Musk has denied. However, Ukrainian military generals have confirmed that Russia is using Starlink and has completely disputed Musk’s denial.
Republicans Influencing Ukraine Support
Musk was joined in this Twitter Spaces event by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and JD Vance. Former GOP Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was also a part of the call. All four men a part of this event have previously been critical of sending Ukraine more aid.
Though many Americans quickly supported Ukraine at the beginning of the war, some attitudes have shifted. This may be because many Republican officials have changed their stance. According to the Pew Research Center, 31% of Americans believe the U.S. is providing too much assistance to Ukraine. 48% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents concur.
The Ongoing Ukrainian-Russian War
Though many in the U.S. still support Ukraine, analysts have said that the lack of support in the U.S. Congress has led to many issues in the war zone.
U.S. President Joe Biden is the latest to also voice these opinions. After Ukrainian forces had to withdraw from the city of Avdiivka, Biden released a White House statement blaming the U.S. Congress for Avdiivka’s fall.
Ukrainian Ammo Shortages
Ukrainians have also said that the U.S. Congress has led to Avdiivka’s defeat. According to soldiers on the ground in Ukraine, the delay in aid from the U.S. has led to ammo shortages.
The battle of Avdiivka has been long going. Critics say that this lack of aid and ammo, possibly thanks to the delay of the U.S. House’s Ukraine bill, has led to the city’s fall.
The Fear Of Russian Expansion
Though many Republican politicians have said they would not approve of more aid and money being sent to Ukraine, there still remain many GOP members in Congress who continue to support the embattled country.
For many in Washington and Europe, the threat of Russian expansion remains persistent. Many analysts believe that Russia will not stop with Ukraine. Instead, Putin will likely push for more territory in Eastern Europe.
Musk Faces Backlash
Musk has faced ample backlash from his recent comments about Ukraine. From regular X users to Ukrainian officials, many have called Musk out. Recently, Musk’s fellow “Paypal mafia” member Reid Hoffman has also publicly blasted Musk for his comments.
According to Hoffman, Musk has bought what Putin was “selling, hook, line, and sinker.”
