Elon Musk Ridicules Zelensky’s Plea for More Aid Amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict

In a move that has stirred both controversy and humor, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, to mock Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s ongoing appeals for additional financial support from the United States and its allies amid the conflict with Russia.

On Sunday, Musk shared a widely recognized meme featuring the ‘stressed guy,’ but with Zelensky’s face photoshopped onto it. The caption accompanying the meme read, “When it’s been five minutes and you haven’t asked for a billion dollars in aid.”

The post quickly garnered immense attention, amassing more than 25 million views and over 350,000 likes at the time of this writing.

The ‘stressed guy’ meme typically portrays a male student whose veins visibly bulge in his neck and forehead, often humorously used to describe frustrating or uncomfortable situations.

Musk’s post followed Zelensky’s recent visit to Washington in September, during which the Ukrainian president sought to secure additional support from the United States. According to US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Zelensky warned that “if we don’t get the aid, we will lose the war.”

The Biden administration has already provided Ukraine with approximately $46 billion in assistance since the conflict with Russia began in February 2022. However, the last-minute budget deal reached by Congress on Saturday, preventing a federal government shutdown, did not include any additional funding for Ukraine.

US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, one of the Republicans who opposed the Biden administration’s request for an extra $6 billion in aid to Ukraine, emphasized the need to prioritize the protection of America’s borders.

It’s worth noting that earlier in the conflict, SpaceX, led by Musk, donated $80 million worth of Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine, a contribution that greatly assisted Kiev’s forces with their communications.

However, this is not the first time Musk has been involved in a public exchange related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Last October, he proposed a peace plan that suggested holding new elections in annexed regions under UN supervision, with Ukraine committing to neutrality and relinquishing its claim to Crimea. This proposal led to a social media poll by Zelensky, asking followers to choose between “the Elon Musk who supports Ukraine” or “the one who supports Russia.” At the time, Andrey Melnik, Ukraine’s then-ambassador to Germany, used strong language to express his disagreement with Musk’s suggestion.

Following this exchange, there were reports that the Ukrainian military began experiencing difficulties with the Starlink services provided by Musk’s SpaceX.

Musk’s recent biography by historian Walter Isaacson, published in September, also described an incident last autumn where Musk allegedly ordered the shutdown of satellite internet coverage in Crimea during an attempted Ukrainian drone assault on the Russian-annexed peninsula. Musk reportedly believed that allowing the use of Starlink for the attack could lead to a global disaster.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, Musk’s online commentary and actions related to the situation continue to generate significant attention and debate.