KYIV: A top Ukrainian presidential aide criticised Twitter owner Elon Musk on Sunday for the billionaire's magical simple solutions, citing ideas put forward by Musk on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Twitter content moderation.
Mykhailo Podolyak listed foreign territories for illusory peace and opening all private accounts because freedom of speech has to be total as examples of such suggestions.
Elon Musk prefers the so-called magical'simple solutions', Podolyak wrote on Twitter, an apparent reference to self-described free speech advocate Musk's plans to reform Twitter, which he took over on October 27, as well as a tweet in which he called for Ukraine to give up the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula in exchange for peace.
Twitter representatives didn't reply to a request for comment.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukraine has had a complicated relationship with Musk, the world's richest man.
He was praised in the war's early days for providing thousands of Starlink satellite internet devices, made by Musk's SpaceX, free of charge to Ukraine, but the friendship ran into difficulties in October when Musk expressed support for peace conditions rejected by Kyiv.
The billionaire called for Crimea to be declared formally part of Russia and for UN-supervised referendums on whether Russia should stay or leave to be held in other occupied territories, annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Podolyak, as well as Ukrainian officials, were angered by the tweet. Kyiv has rejected the idea that it will give up land for peace.
Soon after this dispute, Musk complained about the cost of providing free Starlink services to Ukraine indefinitely. In October, he said that only 10,630 of 25,300 Starlinks sent to Ukraine were actually paying for service.
Kyiv has acknowledged that some terminals are free, but has not given exact figures.
Musk stated on October 15 that the company would continue to run Ukraine's free Starlinks, in a change of tone.