Tech billionaire Elon Musk has called on Volodymyr Zelensky to “go” as Ukraine’s president, as Kyiv raised doubts over American support for the war-torn country.
Musk wrote on X on Wednesday: “And so the slaughter continues. Time for Zelensky to go.”
The Musk Zelensky clash deepened a growing row over Washington’s backing for Kyiv. Ukraine accused the United States this week of helping Russia by failing to warn it of incoming missile strikes and by hobbling Kyiv’s military response through changes to Musk’s satellite system, which Ukrainian forces use for communications.
Musk Zelensky row: the Ukraine Starlink dispute
Zelensky had called on Musk to restore Starlink, which was designed by Musk’s SpaceX company and which Kyiv says has been slowed down. Musk said any disruption was the responsibility of the US government, not his company.
He drew a distinction between Starshield, which Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications and which he said was controlled by the US government, and the Starlink civilian satellite system, which Ukraine also deploys but is not allowed to use for offensive operations.
Ukrainian officials alleged that SpaceX had placed a speed limit on the military version of Starlink that their forces use to fly drones, disrupting several missions. A presidential adviser said Starshield terminals began losing service when they moved faster than about 100 miles per hour, and that Ukraine’s defence forces had received no warning about the limitation.
Ukraine’s defence ministry later said its access to the Starlink network had “improved”, but added that SpaceX continued to maintain speed limits on the service.
The diesel deal that triggered the row
The row comes after Zelensky replied in the affirmative when asked if he felt “betrayed” after US President Donald Trump announced a diesel-supply deal with heavily sanctioned Moscow.
Trump has said he thinks “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president”, responding to Zelensky’s criticism of the deal. Trump has also threatened to suspend an arrangement that lets allies buy US weapons to send to Ukraine.
A senior official in Kyiv said the United States had in recent days threatened to stop providing intelligence about Russian missile launches that Ukraine uses to thwart attacks. Trump has denied that claim.
Trump, facing key midterm elections next month in which fuel prices are a major issue, has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for squeezing supplies and raising prices at the pump. He struck the diesel deal with Russia on Friday, allowing sanctioned Russian oil to be sold to the US and the world.
Poland and Europe react to the Musk Zelensky clash
Poland, which pays Musk’s company about $50 million a year for Ukraine’s Starlink subscriptions, responded angrily to the apparent interruption of the service. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski posted a sharp response to Musk on X, questioning whether he was playing politics with his products.
European countries have been trying to build their own satellite communications network, Eutelsat, as a rival to Starlink. Shares in the company rose following the interruption to Ukraine’s satellite communications.
Zelensky said Musk had made a “big mistake” in cutting off Ukraine’s access, and added that he believed the decision had been made jointly by SpaceX and the US government. He also said Russia was losing seven to ten times as many men as Ukraine each month.
Frequently asked questions
What is Starshield?
Starshield is the military version of Musk’s satellite network, which Ukraine uses for battlefield communications. Musk says it is controlled by the US government, unlike the civilian Starlink system.
Why is Ukraine angry with the US?
Kyiv says Washington failed to warn it of incoming Russian missile strikes and throttled satellite speeds its forces use to fly drones. A senior official also said the US threatened to stop sharing missile-launch intelligence.
What did Poland say?
Poland’s foreign minister posted angrily on X, asking Musk whether he was playing politics with his products. Poland pays about $50 million a year for Ukraine’s Starlink subscriptions.
Ukraine earlier accused the US of helping Russia as missiles hit Kyiv. Zelensky has accused Washington of inaction over Russian strikes. Trump has also faced questions over the Nobel Peace Prize and Ukraine. The Trump administration earlier announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
