It seems that Elon Musk is embracing the harsh realities.
It seems that the world’s richest man has decided that compromise is the best option in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Musk was one of the first CEOs of a major global corporation to lend his support to the Ukrainians, just days after Russia invaded the country on February 24.
He then offered Starlink to the Ukrainians after Russia destroyed their communications infrastructure. Starlink is Musk’s satellite internet connection service for SpaceX. This service guarantees secure and independent access to the Internet. Hard to hack. Service cuts are rare.
Starlink provides Internet access to residents of areas not served by telecom operators’ fixed and mobile networks. Thousands of small satellites in low orbit โ primarily 342 miles (550 km) above Earth โ enable the service.
From idealism to pragmatism
The system is used especially in remote areas as well as in places bombed by Russia. Starlink’s effectiveness thwarted Russia’s war communications plans, causing the Russian authorities to be so angry that they threatened retaliation.
โRough data on the use of Starlink: about 150 thousand daily active users. This is a critical support for Ukrainian infrastructure and the restoration of devastated territories,โ Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailo Fedorov said on May 2.
Fedorov explained that Starlink has now become a kind of lifeline for many of his compatriots: โUkraine will stay in touch no matter what,โ he added.
This gesture infuriated the Russians, in particular, Vice President Vladimir Putin, who did not hesitate to make death threats against Musk.
โYou have to answer in a very poignant way, Elon, no matter how you turn on the idiot,โ the former head of the Russian Space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said of Musk in May.
‘nuclear war’
In light of all this, Musk is often seen as an unconditional supporter of Ukraine. But now Ukrainians may not see it that way, given that Tesla (TSLA) The CEO put forward new proposals to end this war that has killed thousands and displaced millions.
The tech mogul believes that in order to achieve peace, both Ukrainians and Russians must make concessions. And some concessions for Kyiv, such as handing over Crimea to Russia and a pledge not to join the European Union or NATO, are too bitter pills to swallow.
But Musk, who has just organized a poll on his peace plan, believes that this is the price to pay if we are to avoid a potential nuclear war.
“It is also worth noting that the possible, though unlikely, outcome of this conflict is nuclear war,” Musk said on Twitter on October 3.
That’s when a user and supposedly a pro from Ukraine asked him: “Why would I give Starlink in the first place then?”
“The will of the people should decide whether they are part of Russia or Ukraine,” the billionaire said without answering the question. “But Russia invaded areas that would unequivocally choose to be part of Ukraine.”
The real mask took the place of the perfect mask. It seems difficult for many Twitter users, including Ukrainians, to absorb this change.
The Kyiv Post, which describes itself as the top international source for English-language news on Ukraine since 1995, tweeted.
“We are not voting on apartheid and Nelson Mandela,” the news agency added, referring to the fact that Musk was born in South Africa.
“Damn, is my very diplomatic response to @elonmusk,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andrey Melnik, commented.
Musk had already started changing position the day before. In a tweet, the billionaire said that in order to achieve peace, “all sides” must step back from the instinct for revenge.
Musk said, “War always gives strong reason for revenge on all sides. Only by overcoming this instinct can there be peace.”
