UNITED NATIONS:Billionaire Elon Musk asked Twitter users to weigh in on a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, which caused immediate condemnation from Ukrainians, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who responded with his own poll.
Zelenskyy tweeted, offering two responses: one who supports Ukraine, one who supports Russia.
Musk, the world's richest person, proposed UN-supervised elections in four occupied regions that Moscow moved to annex after what it called referendums. The votes were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive.
Musk wrote that Russia leaves if that is the will of the people.
The Tesla chief executive suggested that Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, be recognized as Russia, that water supply to Crimea is assured and that Ukraine remains neutral. He asked Twitter users to vote yes or no on the plan.
Dear Elonmusk, when someone tries to steal the wheels of your Tesla, it doesn't make them the legal owner of the car or wheels. Both of them voted in favor of it, even though they said they both voted in favor of it. Just saying, Lithuania's President Gitanas Naus da tweeted in response.
Musk, who is also the chief executive of SpaceX, said in his first tweet he said: Let's try this: the will of the people who live in Donbas Crimea should decide whether they are part of Russia or Ukraine. He said he didn't care if his proposal was unpopular, arguing that he did care that millions of people might die needlessly for an essentially identical outcome. Russia has 3 times the population of Ukraine, so victory for Ukraine is unlikely in total war. If you care about the people of Ukraine, seek peace, he posted on Twitter.
In February when Ukraine's Internet was disrupted following Russia's invasion, Musk responded to a tweet by a Ukrainian government official seeking help. Musk said SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service was available in Ukraine and SpaceX was sending more terminals to the country.
SpaceX's out of pocket cost to support Starlink in Ukraine is $80 M so far. Our support for Russia is $0. Musk posted later on Monday that we are pro Ukraine.
Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine's outspoken ambassador to Germany, had a blunt reaction to Musk's peace plan. In July, Melnyk was criticised for defending the controversial World War II Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera.
Melnyk tweeted a very diplomatic reply to Melnyk. F off is my very diplomatic reply to you, elonmusk.