Elon Musk, among critics of the $95bn aid package for Ukraine, questions the feasibility of victory

Musk participated in a discussion on X Spaces, an audio chat platform. The chat also involved the Senate bill that ensures billion-dollar aid for Ukraine's defense against Russia. The proposed aid package meant for our neighbors, as well as for Israel and Taiwan, comes to a total of $95 billion. The final verdict on this package will reputedly be made by the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold more seats.

Bloomberg reported that Republican politicians opposing support for Ukraine participated in the discussion. They include Senators Ron Johnson, JD Vance, Mike Lee, Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate, and David Sacks, co-founder of Craft Ventures.

Listeners heard Musk's assertion that "there is no chance" of Vladimir Putin losing the war in Ukraine. This was his reply to Ron Johnson, who asserted that anyone expecting Kiev to emerge victorious lived in a "fantasy world."

J.D Vance, objecting to the bill providing support to Ukraine, exclaimed, "We have to stop this." Responding to these words, Musk expressed his hope that the American people would clarify their stance on this matter to politicians.

These expenses don't assist Ukraine. Dragging out the war doesn't benefit Ukraine, evaluated the Tesla and SpaceX co-founder, as quoted by Bloomberg.

The tycoon acknowledged accusations of being a Putin apologist but refuted them as "nonsensical." He asserted that his companies "have probably done more to undermine Russia than anything else". He reminded listeners that Ukraine was equipped with the Starlink satellite system through SpaceX right after the invasion commenced.

Musk affirmed his interest in "preventing casualties on both sides." He dismissed the notion of ousting Putin, saying that his replacement could be even worse even if that happened. He speculated that if Putin were to retreat his forces now, he could face assassination.

Musk has previously shown skepticism about Ukraine's potential to prevail. His tart responses to Volodymyr Zelensky's appeals for Western aid, which were aired on the X service, provoked condemnation from both Ukrainians and Democrats.

Ukraine recently accused SpaceX of supplying the satellite system to Russians in occupied regions using intermediaries. Instances of these devices being used by the Russian invasions have been noted. This is becoming a systematic issue - stated Intelligence head Andrij Jusow to RBC Ukraine.

Similar findings were reported by the Institute of War Studies, which referenced Russian and Ukrainian sources, asserting that Russia has access to the Starlink system. A statement from SpaceX insisted that it denies having any dealings with the Russian government or military.

In addition, the company emphasized their lack of dealings with Russians, stating they never marketed or sold Starlink services or equipment to them. They also affirmed that they do not operate in Dubai and have not authorized any resellers to sell their services or equipment there.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, Musk actively supported the embattled country. Within days of the invasion, he granted the Ukrainian military access to the Starlink satellite system, aiding them in hitting Russian targets.

These efforts did not sit well with the Kremlin, resulting in threats of attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure to hamper its defense capabilities. There were vague threats from Russian regime representatives to attack his satellites – the head of Roscosmos, Dmitrij Rogozin, even lost his position over these threats – but later, there were alleged attempts to persuade Musk to withdraw his support.

S/oon after reports emerged about a conversation between Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin, Musk, Tesla and SpaceX's owner, dramatically altered his approach. In September 2022, he inhibited Ukraine's access to expand the Starlink system, hampering the Ukrainian military's counter-aggression strategies.

A month later, he announced he could no longer offer the system at no cost. The Pentagon engaged to find a fix if Musk blocked Ukraine from Starlinks, which eventually occurred to some degree.