Tech billionaire Elon Musk has called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office, as tensions grow over US support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.
Musk made the call on Wednesday in a post on X, criticising the continued bloodshed in the conflict and demanding a change in Ukraine’s leadership.
“And so the slaughter continues,” Musk wrote. “Time for Zelensky to go.”
His remarks came after Ukraine accused the United States of indirectly helping Russia by failing to provide warnings about incoming missile attacks and allegedly affecting Ukraine’s military operations through changes to Starlink, the satellite internet system developed by Musk’s SpaceX.
Zelensky had appealed to Musk to restore Starlink services after Ukrainian officials reported speed restrictions that they said were affecting military communications and drone operations.
However, Musk argued that any disruption to the satellite services was the responsibility of the US government, drawing a distinction between Starlink and Starshield, another satellite communications system used by Ukraine.
According to Musk, Starshield is controlled by the US government and is relied upon by Ukraine for battlefield communications. He also noted that Ukraine uses Starlink, a civilian satellite internet system, but is not permitted to use it for offensive military operations.
The dispute has added to growing uncertainty over Washington’s position on Ukraine as Kyiv continues to defend itself against Russian attacks.
Ukraine’s concerns intensified after Zelensky said he felt betrayed by US President Donald Trump following the announcement of a diesel-supply deal involving Russia, which remains under heavy international sanctions.
A senior Ukrainian official also alleged that the United States had recently threatened to stop sharing intelligence about Russian missile launches. Ukraine relies on such information to detect incoming attacks and prepare its defences.
Trump has denied making the threat.
The disagreement comes as the US president faces crucial midterm elections next month, with rising fuel prices emerging as a major political concern.
Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for contributing to fuel supply pressures and higher prices at petrol stations across the United States.
The latest developments highlight the growing tensions surrounding US support for Ukraine, with questions emerging over military assistance, intelligence sharing and the role of satellite communications in the conflict.
Source: AFP
