Elon Musk cautions against military aid to Ukraine, fears potential aggression in Russia’s leadership change
The entrepreneur took part in a discussion that happened on February 12 on his own platform X. Participants questioned the validity of granting a $60 billion aid package to Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, Elon Musk firmly stated that "there is no chance that Russia could lose the war". Senator Ron Johnson echoed this sentiment, saying that anyone who has faith in Ukraine's chances of winning "lives in a fantasy world".
12:55 AM EST, February 14, 2024
"These expenditures do not help Ukraine. Extending the conflict does not help Ukraine", the billionaire emphasized.
Despite such comments, Musk refuted the idea of him being a supporter of Putin. He contended that he and his companies have done more to weaken Russia than any other entities. He underscored that his priority is "to prevent loss of life on both sides of the conflict".
Parts of the audience highlighted the discrepancy between Musk's claims that he has done a lot to weaken Russia, and the information that appeared in the media several days prior. Experts from the Institute for the Study of War highlighted that Russian troops use Starlink terminals from SpaceX, just like Ukrainians, a fact also confirmed by Ukrainian intelligence.
Musk cautions against changing Russian leadership, fearing it could be worse
In the aforementioned discussion, Musk admitted that he does not see any point in attempts at an "internal" overthrow of Putin. He argued that anyone wishing for a leadership change in Russia should consider whether such a change would actually be for the better.
"Those desiring a regime change in Russia should contemplate who would beat Putin and whether that person would actually be a pacifist. Probably not. It's possible the new leader could be even more aggressive than Putin", the billionaire reasoned.
Musk also asserted that Putin is determined to guide his country to victory. Retreat from Ukraine is not an option, as according to the billionaire, it would signify Putin's downfall.