Elon Musk has lashed out a Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian President’s explosive row with Donald Trump in which he told him to make a deal with Russia ‘or we are out’.
Zelensky met with the US President and his VP on Friday in the Oval Office during what was supposed to be a prelude to both leaders signing a minerals deal Kyiv hoped would secure future support for the US.
However, the meeting quickly turned sour as Zelensky clashed with Vice President JD Vance, who criticised the Ukrainian President for not thanking President Trump.
The outbursts from both leaders ended up with an afternoon press conference being cancelled prematurely.
The Ukrainian President was then told to leave the White House and made a swift exit into his car from the West Wing.
Now Elon Musk, who has become one of President Trump’s most influential senior advisors since he took office in January, has weighed into the argument between the two world leaders.
Taking to his own social media site, X, Musk responded to a post by Benny Johnson suggesting that American’s believe the US is helping Ukraine too much.
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky clashed in the White House on Friday
Key Trump ally Elon Musk has now weighed in on the argument between the two world leaders
Mr Johnson wrote: ‘More people now think the U.S. is helping Ukraine too much – up from 7% to 41%.
‘On top of that, trust in Zelensky fell from 72% to under 48%
‘America first.’
Musk quoted the post and wrote: ‘Zelensky damaged himself severely in the eyes of the public. Just a fact.’
In another scathing post, Musk called Zelensky’s strategy for the ongoing conflict with Russia ‘cruel and inhumane.’
‘What I said over 2 years ago was that Ukraine should seek peace or suffer severe loss of life for no gains. The latter was Zelensky’s choice,’ Musk wrote. ‘Now, he wants to do that again. This is cruel and inhumane.’
In extraordinary scenes which were broadcast across the world, a tense war of words unfolded after Zelensky asked JD Vance a question which sent him into a fit of rage.
Speaking a calm manner, Zelensky had asked: ‘What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about? What do you mean?’
In a furious tirade, Vance spat back: ‘I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.
‘Mr President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.
Elon Musk has been a close advisor to President Trump since he took office in January
The billionaire has been speaking out about various political leaders at summits and rallies
Elon Musk took to his social media platform X to criticise the Ukrainian leader
‘Right now you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the President for trying to bring an end to this conflict.’
The argument continued to escalate as the two sides talked over each other and the pitched battle intensified.
‘Have you ever been to Ukraine that you see the problems we have?’ Zelensky asked Vance, who last April in the Senate voted against a package with $61 billion in aid for Ukraine.
‘I have been to – I’ve actually, I’ve actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people. You bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr President,’ Vance shot back.
Then Trump jumped in to defend his vice president. ‘You’ve allowed to be in a very bad position, and it happens to be right about that. YOu’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now.’
‘I’m not playing cards,’ Zelensky responded, speaking over him.
‘Have you said thank you once?’ Vance blasted Zelensky at one point in the conflagration.
‘Just say thank you,’ Vance told him. ‘I said it a lot of times,’ Zelensky responded.
The talks soon turned sour after a seemingly-innocuous moment where Zelensky spoke earnestly to JD Vance, with Trump quietly nodding along behind him
The furious bust-up has sparked fierce tensions across the globe after the US leader led an unprecedented humiliation of the war-time premier alongside VP JD Vance
Zelensky’s first words had been: ‘Thank you so much, Mr President, thank you for the invitation’. Vance appeared to be seeking gratitude for the massive infusion of military aid.
It is not the first time that Elon Musk has voiced his disapproval of the Ukrainian President.
Last month, he suggested Volodymyr Zelensky runs a ‘fraud machine feeding off the dead bodies of soldiers’.
Writing on his X platform, he said: ‘In reality, he is despised by the people of Ukraine, which is why he has refused to hold an election. I challenge Zelensky to hold an election and refute this. He will not.’
Trump’s ally then added: ‘President Trump is right to ignore him and solve for peace independent of the disgusting, massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.’
While Musk did not elaborate on what he meant by this, his comments appear to echo Trump’s accusation that Zelensky wanted to ‘keep the gravy train’ of foreign aid running with the war.
Prior to meeting the Ukrainian President, Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on his Ukrainian counterpart, blaming him for the war on his country despite Russia being the aggressor. Zelensky in turn accused the US President of falling for Russian fake news.
Trump hit back by labelling Zelensky ‘a dictator without elections’ – despite the Ukrainian leader winning more than 73 per cent of the vote in Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election and only pausing elections because of the war.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 10 Downing Street, London yesterday
Chancellor Rachel Reeves signs a loans deal to Ukraine alongside President Zelensky and the Prime Minister
Both Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have given their backing to Volodymyr Zelensky
The tension then erupted in front of the world media, leaving question marks about the future of US – Ukraine relations.
Mr Trump is reportedly now demanding his Ukrainian counterpart makes the first move to restore relations following their fractious Oval Office dispute on Friday night that sparked demands for his promised British trip to be axed.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Mr Zelensky to Downing Street the following day and made clear Britain’s ongoing backing for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion – as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £2.26billion of new funding.
Sir Keir last night spoke with both Mr Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, after the PM insisted Ukraine had ‘full backing across the United Kingdom’ in a Number 10 meeting with Mr Zelensky.
Greeting him later at No 10, and referring to the cheers of supporters who gathered outside Downing Street, Sir Keir said: ‘I hope you heard some of that cheering in the street, that is the people of the United Kingdom coming out to demonstrate how much they support you and Ukraine and our absolute determination to stand with you – unwavering determination.’
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly releasing more than £2billion from frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s military – the first time money generated from the appreciation of such assets will be used for military purposes.
She and the Ukrainian finance minister will sign a £2.26billion UK-Ukraine bilateral loan agreement, the Sunday Times reported.
She is also poised to change the remit of the £27.8billion National Wealth Fund – previously reserved for infrastructure projects – so it can be spent on supporting the British defence sector.
