Musk: "Putin Will Be Assassinated If He Backs Down from Ukraine War... No Way He Will Lose"

"Opposition to Ukraine Support Bill" Controversy
Putin: "Musk Is a Smart Person"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has sparked controversy by expressing opposition to support for Ukraine, stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a situation where he can never back down from the war in Ukraine and will not be defeated.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to Bloomberg on the 13th (local time), Musk said during a discussion on the Ukraine war held on his social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) 'X Space' the previous day, "President Putin is under pressure to continue the war," adding, "If he steps back, he will be assassinated." He continued, "There is no way President Putin will be defeated," and emphasized his opposition to the U.S. bill for additional support to Ukraine, saying, "Extending the war does not help Ukraine."

Musk stated, "My concern is to stop the deaths caused by the war," and explained, "I doubt whether it is wise to seek the ousting of President Putin. Those who want a regime change in Russia need to consider who can remove President Putin and whether that person could be a pacifist. Probably not."

Previously, Musk, who has consistently opposed the continuation of the Ukraine war and advocated for a swift ceasefire negotiation, seemed to respond to pro-Russian controversy by saying, "It is absurd that I am sometimes accused of being an advocate for President Putin." He added, "We have done a lot to weaken Russia," arguing, "We provided Ukraine with SpaceX's Starlink internet service, and SpaceX's entry into the space rocket launch sector has reduced Russia's share."

President Putin also praised Musk in an interview with former U.S. Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, released on the 9th (Korean time), saying, "I think he (Musk) is a smart person," which further fueled the pro-Russian controversy surrounding Musk both inside and outside the U.S.

Meanwhile, the discussion included U.S. Republican senators Ron Johnson, JD Vance, Mike Lee, Republican presidential primary candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, and David Sacks, co-founder of venture capital firm Craft Ventures. As the $93.5 billion aid bill for Ukraine and Israel passed the U.S. Senate, public opinion on the support bill has become a major issue in the U.S. presidential election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.