Kyiv:
A Ukrainian presidential aide on Sunday criticized Twitter owner Elon Musk for the billionaire’s “magic simple solutions,” citing Musk’s ideas about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and moderating Twitter content.
Mykhailo Podolyak cited “exchanging foreign territories for an illusory peace” and “opening (opening) of all private accounts because freedom of speech must be complete” as examples of such suggestions.
“(Elon Musk) prefers so-called magical ‘easy solutions,'” Podolyak wrote on Twitter, a clear reference to the self-proclaimed free speech advocate Musk’s plans to reform Twitter, which he acquired on Oct. 27, as well as a tweet calling on Ukraine to give up the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula in exchange for peace.
Twitter representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine has had a complicated relationship with Musk, the richest man in the world, since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.
He was lauded in the early days of the war for providing thousands of Starlink satellite internet devices made by Musk’s SpaceX to Ukraine for free, but the friendship ran into trouble in October when Musk declared his support for peace terms rejected by Kiev .
The billionaire called for Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, to be formally part of Russia, and UN-supervised referendums on whether Russia should stay or leave for other occupied territories.
The tweet drew angry rebukes from Ukrainian officials, including Podolyak. Kiev has repeatedly rejected the idea that the country will give up for peace.
Shortly after this dispute, Musk publicly complained about the cost of providing free Starlink services to Ukraine indefinitely. He said in October that only 10,630 of the 25,300 Starlinks shipped to Ukraine actually paid for service.
Kiev acknowledged that “some” terminals are provided free of charge, but did not provide exact figures.
In a different tone, Musk said on Oct. 15 that the company would continue to manage Ukraine’s free Starlinks.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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