#ElonMuskIsATraitor trends in Ukraine
Several academics, a British MP and countless Ukrainians are among those who have expressed outrage at Musk’s latest comments about Ukraine.
Elon Musk is facing a growing backlash over a social media post in which he mocked President Zelensky, prompting several critical hashtags to trend on his “X” platform including: #ElonMuskIsATraitor.
In a post on “X” on Sunday evening, the world’s richest man published a modified version of the “frustrated boy meme” with a picture of the Ukrainian president’s face.
The post read: “When it’s been five minutes and you haven’t asked for a billion dollars in aid.”
The post came as developments in Washington meant the future of US aid for Ukraine hangs in the balance amid the political wrangling needed to avoid a government shutdown.
Among Ukrainians there was outrage at the post.
Mariana Betsa, ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia, wrote: “Elon, don’t you have empathy? Ukrainians are killed daily by Russia. We are fighting for our lives, for our families, for our country, for our freedom #StandWithUkraine.”
Ukrainian academic Roman Sheremeta, wrote: “I used to admire Musk, but he became a mouthpiece of the Russian propaganda and just indecent human being.”
I used to admire Musk, but he became a mouthpiece of the russian propaganda and just indecent human being.
"Any silence or irony towards Ukraine today is a direct encouragement of Russian propaganda that justifies mass violence and destruction," presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak answered on X.
Musk’s controversial comments about Ukraine and Russia’s full-scale invasion have become a regular feature in recent weeks. Over the weekend he appeared to conflate the situation on Ukraine’s international border with that of the US.
In a post on “X”, he asked: “Why do so many American politicians from both parties care 100 times more about the Ukraine border than the USA border?”
