Musk claims that Ukrainians dislike Zelensky

Elon Musk has made controversial remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The billionaire, a known supporter of former US President Donald Trump, asserted that Ukrainians harbor animosity toward Zelensky. Musk also suggested that Trump has the authority to exclude Zelensky from peace talks between Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

These comments came as the White House urged Zelensky to cease making disparaging remarks about Trump and to finalize a mineral agreement with the US. Musk, who has been actively involved in shaping the Trump administration’s stance, has been vocal in criticizing Zelensky on his social media platform, X. In a post, Musk claimed, "He knows he will lose by a landslide, even after controlling all Ukrainian media. That’s why he canceled the election. The Ukrainian people hate him."

Trump has similarly suggested that Zelensky's public support is minimal and has advocated for elections in Ukraine. Musk has aligned himself with Trump’s position. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Musk praised Trump's pragmatic approach to the Ukraine war, stating that the former president possesses a great deal of empathy and thoughtfulness.

Zelensky was elected for a five-year term in 2019, but elections were postponed in 2022 due to martial law imposed after Russia's invasion. Musk also recently criticized the misuse of a feature on Facebook, designed to fact-check misleading content, to promote Zelensky's campaign. He pledged to address the issue.

Musk wrote on X that various governments and media outlets have been manipulating the "Community Notes" feature to their advantage. He emphasized that Zelensky’s public support polls are not reliable and reiterated his claim that Ukrainians despise him, which is why Zelensky has avoided holding elections.

In the wake of Trump’s surprise call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky expressed frustration at being excluded from US-Russia discussions aimed at resolving the war. Additionally, Zelensky has turned down a deal that would grant the United States access to Ukraine’s vast natural resources in exchange for continued US military aid to Ukraine during the ongoing conflict with Russia.