Politicians, military officials, and media personalities alike are slamming the Tesla founder for “stabbing us in the back” in the aftermath of the Starlink controversy in Crimea.
Musk, for his part, has blamed the U.S. government for the ordeal, arguing that sanctions against Russia in the Kremlin-occupied region left him with no choice but to deny the request. But prominent Ukrainians politicians, businessmen, and media professionals—who spoke with The Daily Beast about their views on Musk in the aftermath of the Starlink controversy—aren’t quite buying it.
“We depend on Starlink. It plays a number one role, together with drones and artillery on the front, in our war against the occupants,” Serhiy Leschenko, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, told The Daily Beast. Some of those on the frontlines shared similar concerns: “U.S. law enforcement agencies and courts should be looking into Musk’s influence on the course of history, a private company cannot be controlling the security systems of other countries,” said Dubina, the platoon commander.Meanwhile, Russia’s state media has been frantically spotlighting Musk’s decision to deny Ukraine’s request in Crimea as a victory for the Kremlin.
The ex-governor of the Donetsk region, Serhiy Taruta, knows all too well the price Ukraine is paying for Putin’s brutal war after witnessing the destruction of his hometown of Mariupol.