The head of SpaceX conceded that his attempts to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict yielded no results
Elon Musk speaks at an event in Boca Chica Beach, Texas, August 2022. © Michael Gonzalez / Getty Images
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has admitted that his efforts to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict have failed. The comments came as he discussed the risks of nuclear war on Twitter with tech entrepreneur and the former head of Megaupload, Kim Dotcom.
The dialogue happened as officials and experts in both the West and Russia have been weighing in on the possibility that the bloodshed in Ukraine could lead to a larger and even more destructive conflict.
“The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money and other companies are getting billions of taxpayer [dollars], we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free,” Musk tweeted on Saturday.
The billionaire has donated around 25,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine after Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring country in February.
Kim Dotcom, whose real name is Kim Schmitz, replied: “In other words you will continue your support for the US proxy war in Ukraine despite your better knowledge that this is a US proxy war and the risk of a nuclear war because of the US proxy war?”
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“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, so … guess I’m just damned,” Musk wrote in response.
Schmitz then praised Musk for offering ideas for a peace settlement between Moscow and Kiev. “I believe in you. We are facing nuclear war because of reckless US foreign policy in Ukraine. You know that. This is a big one. We have to put our personal interests aside for the sake of humanity,” he argued.
Musk replied: “I’m trying my hardest to de-escalate this situation and obviously failing.”
Schmitz has criticized Washington’s response to the conflict in the past, arguing that the US “provoked this war and carries the brunt of responsibility.”
Musk, meanwhile, was heavily criticized in Ukraine and the West earlier this month for suggesting that, for the sake of peace, Kiev should recognize Crimea as Russian territory. As for the four other former Ukrainian territories that were admitted into Russia, the billionaire proposed to “redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision.”
