Tech baron Elon Musk appeared to call for US sanctions against wealthy Ukrainians as a means of pushing for an end to the bloody war — while boasting that he he’s been propping up the country’s military with his Starlink satellite internet.
When pressed about his recent knack for lashing out at Kyiv more frequently than Moscow, Musk highlighted his 2022 challenge for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to fight him.
“Place sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. That is the key to the puzzle,” Musk, 53, wrote on X in the wee Sunday hours.
Musk’s suggestion came in response to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) arguing that the US shouldn’t offer “another penny” for Kyiv as protesters unfurled a massive Ukrainian flag in front of the White House.
Amid the backlash, Musk highlighted his ongoing support for Ukraine via his Starlink system and boasted that the satellite-powered internet system has been critical to Kyiv.
“I literally challenged Putin to one on one physical combat over Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army,” Musk contended in response to a user that accused him of attacking Ukraine more than Russia. “Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.”
“What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose. Anyone who really cares, really thinks and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop. PEACE NOW!!”
Back in 2022, after Russia’s unprovoked, bloody invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Musk challenged Putin to single combat, saying that the “stakes are Ukraine.” That fight, of course, never happened. Russian officials later mocked him as “Elona.”
Musk has also challenged Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, who is about a decade younger than him and actively trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That fist-to-cuffs never happened, either.
President Trump has also taken a hardline approach to Ukraine in a bid to pressure them to the negotiating table with Russia.
This marks a significant change from the Biden administration’s posture in which the US was actively on Ukraine’s side. Trump is trying to position himself more in the middle to broker peace between the two warring countries.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed last week that the US has halted its intelligence sharing efforts with Ukraine as the country scrambles to fend off Russian invaders. Trump has also pumped the brakes on military aid.
Trump, 78, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky clashed publicly in the Oval Office late last month, and Ukraine has worked to mend fences with Washington.
Meanwhile, Trump has groused about Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine and threatened to leverage sanctions and other economic means to pressure the Kremlin to the negotiating table.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday.
But later in the day, Trump clarified to reporters that he finds it “more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine.”
US and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia later this week to hash out their differences and attempt to revive a mineral agreement.
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