Elon Musk remains extremely concerned about the Russia-Ukraine war.
The conflict, which has already claimed thousands of lives, is into its second year, and the billionaire entrepreneur talks about it almost every day.
Musk, who has gained geopolitical influence regarding Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, recently accused the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nuland, of not advocating for a peaceful solution.
"Nobody is pushing this war more than Nuland," the billionaire said on Feb. 22.
Nuland on Feb. 24 spoke with the Washington Post in response to Musk:
I would start with a basic fact here .... which is if this war is to end, it could end tomorrow if Vladimir Putin chose to end it and to withdraw his troops" she said.
"So, this is not about us. This is about choices that Vladimir Putin has made to try to bite off pieces of his neighbor. And if we allow this as the United States, if we don't support the victim in this aggression, then this aggression will be replicated all over the planet in the years to come."
The Diplomats vs. the Generals
For Musk, the recent strong statements of Joe Biden in favor of Ukraine while publicly ruling out peace talks with Russia, is proof that the war camp has prevailed over that of peace in the Democratic Party president's entourage. Musk sees the diplomats urging war and the peace partisans strangely composed of the generals.
"The diplomats want war and the warriors want peace," the billionaire tweeted on Feb. 27, commenting on a tweet saying that the generals believe the White House should encourage the Ukrainians to come to the negotiating table with Russia.
"NYT notes that after the chair of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, argued that 'Ukraine was unlikely to make substantially greater battlefield gains and should move to the bargaining table,' the White House 'quickly squelched such talk.' No peace talk in this White House," posted the Canadian journalist Aron Maté, who works for The Grayzone, a far-left blog that is anti-Western and a staunch critic of the U.S. government.
"The diplomats want war and the warriors want peace," Musk replied.
The techno king's remark should be understood in this context: Since October he has been pleading for a Russia-Ukraine dialogue to end the conflict with a peace plan. Musk proposed such a plan, which the Ukrainians and their allies harshly rejected because it incorporated many of Russia's demands.
But the billionaire has not given up. He argues that without a peace accord, this conflict could evolve into World War III. For Musk, a cornered Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons.
In recent days, the rhetoric has mounted in both camps. Russia is discussing with China the possibility of buying weapons, while Ukraine is asking its allies for additional military aid. All this raises fears of an escalation in the conflict.
Musk Warns of a 'Major Russian Offensive'
Musk has just warned the Ukrainians to prepare for a "major Russian offensive." The CEO does not say whether he has exclusive information that leads him to issue this dire warning.
"If Putin fears he is losing Crimea, he will negotiate," Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, wrote on Twitter on Feb. 27. "Therefore, we in the West should give Kyiv the weapons they need to threaten Crimea, including first and foremost, Atacms. The sooner we do, the faster this awful war will end."
Atacms stand for "army tactical missile systems," long-range guided missiles that "give operational commanders the immediate firepower to win the deep battle," according their manufacturer, Lockheed Martin (LMT).
"Ukraine needs to be in max defense mode," Musk commented. "Major Russian offensive coming. Do you know how many casualties each side has taken?"
"@elonmusk, you are doing your duty to save humans & alert warmongers well. Appreciate it," one Twitter user told the tech mogul.
Musk then pointed out that currently neither side has the advantage in terms of equipment or technology, which reduces the conflict to trench warfare like that of World War I.
"Neither side has air superiority & tanks are easily destroyed by missiles, so that leaves infantry & artillery – basically WW1," the billionaire said. "Drones are not yet available in sufficient numbers to matter, much like aircraft in WW1. A defense in depth trench war means that whoever attacks first suffers very disproportionate deaths."
Musk supplies Starlink to Ukraine. The satellite internet access service has become the only means of communication for the Ukrainian armed forces on the front. But the billionaire has taken steps to ensure that Starlink antennas are not used to run Ukrainian drones.
