Elon Musk's Poll on Ukraine's Fate Receives Sharp Criticism, Including from President Zelenskiy

Elon Musk's traces of opinion received sharp criticism. (photo: twitter @elonmusk)

JAKARTA - SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Monday, October 3, created a poll asking Twitter users to consider plans to end Russia's war in Ukraine. However, it immediately drew criticism from Ukraine, including from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who responded with his own opinion poll.

"@elonmusk which one do you prefer?," Zelenskiy tweeted, offering two responses: one in favor of Ukraine, one in favor of Russia.

Ukraine-Russia Peace:

- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.

- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).

- Water supply to Crimea assured.

- Ukraine remains neutral.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022

Musk, the world's richest man, proposed UN-supervised elections in the four occupied territories Moscow annexed last week after what he called a referendum. The vote was denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. "Russia leaves if it's the people's will," Musk wrote, in the poll.

CEI Tesla Inc also suggested that Crimea, which Moscow captured in 2014, be officially recognized as Russia, so that water supplies to Crimea are guaranteed and Ukraine remains neutral. He asked Twitter users to vote 'yes' or 'no' to the plan.

Which @elonmusk do you like more?

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 3, 2022

"Dear @elonmusk, when someone tries to steal your Tesla wheel it doesn't make them the rightful owner of the car or the wheel. Even though they claim they both support it. Just saying," said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda in a tweet in response to the poll that.

Musk, who is also the chief executive of SpaceX, followed up his first tweet with another poll: "Let's try this: the will of the people living in Donbas & Crimea should decide whether they are part of Russia or Ukraine."

Let’s try this then: the will of the people who live in the Donbas & Crimea should decide whether they’re part of Russia or Ukraine

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022

He said he didn't care if his proposal was unpopular, arguing that he cared "that millions of people might die in vain for essentially identical results."

"Russia has >3 times the population of Ukraine, so victory for Ukraine is impossible in a total war. If you care about the Ukrainian people, seek peace," he wrote on Twitter.

In February, when Ukraine's internet was disrupted following the Russian invasion, Musk responded to a tweet by a Ukrainian government official seeking help. Musk said SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service is available in Ukraine and SpaceX is sending more terminals to the country.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, has had an outspoken reaction to Musk's peace plan. Melnyk himself faced criticism in July for defending Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera during World War Two. "Fuck it is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk," Melnyk tweeted.

Musk's poll also received a cynical response from Vitaly Klychko, a former boxer who is now also a politician in Ukraine.

"Elon, any other ideas, in space? Our worldly response to Russian aggressors," the former world heavyweight champion tweeted.