'What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose,' Musk said

 

Musk says Starlink is 'backbone of the Ukrainian army,' 'entire front line would collapse if I turned it off'

Billionaire Elon Musk said Sunday that Ukraine's front line would disintegrate if he cut off his Starlink satellite internet constellation in the country during its war with Russia, reiterating his frustration with "years of carnage in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose."

Musk, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, first reacted to an X post by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who responded to another post from a user asking whether American taxpayers paid for a huge Ukrainian flag that was unfurled in front of the White House with "Not another penny to Ukraine.".

"Sanction the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with Monaco mansions, and this will stop immediately. That is the puzzle solution," Musk responded to Lee.

SPACEX SCOFFS AT STARLINK 'TAKE OVER' OF FAA CONTRACT, AS VERIZON $2.4B AIR CONTROL DEAL P

Elon Musk speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images

Another user clarified that though they concur with Musk's assertion that sanctions should be applied to anyone who commits corruption, they told the SpaceX and Tesla founder to "stop pretending" Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, is not the aggressor. The user also stated that Musk only cared to criticize Ukraine but not Putin.

Musk answered by saying he had challenged Putin to a fistfight and that Starlink "is the backbone of the Ukrainian army," as the war between Ukraine and Russia sparked by Mosow's invasion in February 2022 continues unabated.

Elon Musk takes his seat at the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"I actually challenged Putin to one on one hand to hand combat for Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian military. Their entire front line would collapse if I shut it off," Musk said.

"What ill is it that makes me sick is years of slaughter in a deadlock Ukraine will always lose," he continued. "Anyone who really cares, thinks and knows calls for the meat grinder to stop. PEACE NOW!!"

Elon Musk is seen in the U.S. Capitol after a meeting with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., while on the Hill to talk about the Department of Government Efficiency, on Thursday, December 5, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images / Getty Images)