Elon Musk has hit out at European leaders and Volodymyr Zelensky as they met in London to discuss achieving peace in Ukraine. The tech billionaire is a key adviser to US President Donald Trump and in a post on his social media platform X, said EU leaders and the Ukrainian President are “having fancy dinners while men die in trenches”.
The X owner took aim at the Ukrainian president just days after his ambush by Trump and Vice-President JD Vance in the White House, where a very public spat saw the US officials berate Zelenksy, despite Putin's Russia having started the war by invadeing Ukraine illegally.
Today Musk said: “How many parents will never see their son again? How many children will never see their father?” Mr Musk made the comments alongside a sketch of fallen chess pieces on a bloodied board, with the King and Queen pieces sitting at a table with wine glasses.
The image was shared with the caption: “The reality of war.”
The world’s richest man heads the US’ new Department of Government Efficiency, known by the acronym DOGE.
The post taking aim at European leaders came less than a day after he called on the United States to leave both NATO and the United Nations.
The Trump administration has been critical of the EU and NATO since taking office in January.
President Donald Trump has long-called for NATO members to significantly ramp up their defence spending, calling for a target of 5% of GDP. The current target is 2%.
No nation has ever left the alliance since it was founded in 1949.
Mr Musk’s comments come in the wake of a fierce row between Mr Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and Mr Zelensky in White House.
During the exchange, Mr Trump accused his Ukrainian counterpart of being “disrespectful” and told him he is “gambling with World War Three”.
Mr Zelensky arrived in the UK the day after the explosive talks in Washington DC, meeting the King at Sandringham after speaking with European leaders at the summit in central London.
Following the talks, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a new deal which will allow Ukraine to use £1.6bn of UK export finance to purchase more than 5,000 air defence missiles.
He said Europe must realise it is “not a moment for more talk, it is time to act” and unveiled a four-step plan discussed by the leaders at Sunday’s Lancaster House meeting.
This included a pledge to “develop a coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and guarantee a peace settlement.
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