CEO of Tesla Elon Musk is facing charges of supporting the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Critics have nicknamed the billionaire “Moscow Musk” due to his praise of Putin and dissemination of pro-Russian content on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which he owns.
The controversy arises from various incidents, including the alleged use of Starklink – Musk’s satellite internet service – by Russian forces in Ukraine and his recent call for his followers to lobby against a US aid package for Ukraine .
His position sparked significant backlash from the former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger and others questioning Musk’s motives, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“Why is @elonmusk spending a shilling on Russia now? Why is he still a US government contractor?” Kinzinger tweeted.
Some individuals have also attempted to draw attention around hashtags such as #MoscowMusk and #ElonMuskIsATraitor on the social media platform.
Read also: Elon Musk believes Vladimir Putin is richer than him: how rich is the Russian president?
“Why does a US defense contractor (Elon) that gets billions of dollars in DoD contracts criticize US security policy, in favor of our enemy, Russia?” tweeted Terry Virtsformer commander of the International Space Station.
Despite the criticism, Musk argued that his companies undermined Russia’s efforts more than any other, citing SpaceX’s impact on Russian launch activity and Starlink’s support for Ukraine.
However, his recent rhetorical and policy decisions, including the removal of state-affiliated labels on Russian media accounts such as RT, have led to increased scrutiny from public and regulatory bodies such as the European Commission.
The debate over Musk’s influence and intentions underscores the challenges tech leaders face in the geopolitical landscape.
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This content was partially produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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