KYIV | President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials discussed the Russian invasion on Twitter on Monday with US billionaire Elon Musk, and Kyiv’s ambassador to Germany went so far as to tell the SpaceX founder to “fuck you.”
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The exchange began with Elon Musk’s proposal to restore peace between Kyiv and Moscow through UN-supervised referendums, handing over Crimea to Russia, and establishing “status neutral” for Ukraine.
The American billionaire left his Twitter followers the choice to vote for or against the proposal by clicking Yes or No.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky answered a question for his subscribers: “Which Elon Musk do you prefer, the one who supports Ukraine, or the one who supports Russia?”
Presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak proposed a “best peace plan” with “the liberation of its territories by Ukraine, including the annexed Crimea”, the “demilitarization and denuclearization” of Russia, and also proposed that “war criminals” be brought to international justice.
“My very diplomatic answer is to go to you,” Andriy Melnyk, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, began on his part.
Elon Musk then said that Russia might decide to mobilize its population more extensively for a “total war” that would result in “a devastating toll on both sides.”
“In a full-scale war, the victory of Ukraine is unlikely. If you care about the Ukrainian people, look for peace,” he wrote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who issued a “partial” mobilization decree and threatened to use nuclear weapons in the face of Ukraine’s recent military successes, called on Kyiv to “cease hostilities” and “return to the negotiating table.”
Mr. Zelensky has said that Kyiv will not negotiate with Moscow as long as Mr. Putin is president.