Elon Musk has launched a scathing attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alleging—without providing evidence—that the leader is “despised by the people of Ukraine.” The tech billionaire’s comments, posted on his social media platform X, challenged Kyiv’s assertion that Zelensky holds a 57% approval rating. Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed the Ukrainian leader’s approval rating was as low as 4%.

‘Despised By The People Of Ukraine’

“If Zelensky was actually loved by the people of Ukraine, he would hold an election. He knows he would lose in a landslide, despite having seized control of ALL Ukrainian media, so he canceled the election,” Musk wrote.

“In reality, he is despised by the people of Ukraine, which is why he has refused to hold an election,” he continued. “I challenge Zelensky to hold an election and refute this. He will not.”

Musk further asserted that Trump was justified in dismissing Zelensky’s concerns, arguing that the Ukrainian president was at the center of a “massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.”

Escalating Rhetoric Between Trump, Musk and Zelensky

The verbal attacks intensified earlier this week when Trump stated that Ukraine “should never have started” the war with Russia. In response, Zelensky accused the former U.S. president of being influenced by Russian misinformation. Trump later went on to label Zelensky a “dictator” and warned that he “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”

Musk’s latest remarks also included a promise to “fix” X’s Community Notes fact-checking feature, claiming that “governments and legacy media” were manipulating the tool. His comments were in response to an anonymous X post questioning the credibility of a poll cited by Zelensky. The post alleged that “U.S. intelligence” suggests Zelensky’s real support is closer to 4%, arguing that the polling institute in question, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, had past funding links to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Musk has repeatedly accused USAID—without evidence—of being a “criminal organization.” Notably, the same agency had previously collaborated with Musk’s company, Starlink, in Ukraine.

Musk and Trump Align as U.S.-Ukraine Relations Fray

On Thursday, Musk appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference alongside Argentinian President Javier Milei, where he held up a chainsaw—mimicking a previous stunt by Milei meant to symbolize government spending cuts.

Both Musk and Trump have been accused of reinforcing Russia’s narrative regarding its invasion of Ukraine. Their rhetoric comes at a time when the U.S. has begun direct negotiations with Russia over the war—talks that notably exclude Ukraine. This shift was highlighted by a high-level meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia this week.

Trump’s assertion that Ukraine initiated the war, despite Russia’s illegal invasion in February 2022, prompted European leaders to reaffirm their support for Zelensky. During a press conference where Trump made the 4% approval claim, Zelensky responded: “We have evidence that these figures are being discussed between America and Russia. That is, President Trump… unfortunately lives in this disinformation space.”

Zelensky Dismisses Claims, Calls Out Russian Influence

On Wednesday, Zelensky rejected accusations that he is a dictator, stating they originate from Moscow. “If anyone wants to replace me right now, then it just isn’t going to happen,” he said at a news conference. He added, “I wish Trump’s team had more truth. Because none of this is having a positive effect on Ukraine.”

Russian officials have openly welcomed Trump’s remarks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Trump “understands our position.” Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev took to X, writing, “A dictator without elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left. If you’d told me just three months ago that these were the words of the U.S. president, I would have laughed out loud.” Medvedev added that Trump was “200 percent right.”

Also Read: Donald Trump Vs Zelensky: US NSA Advises Ukraine To ‘Tone It Down’ Amid Trump’s ‘Dictator’ Remake