Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, serving as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, has made explosive claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a post on X, Musk accused Zelensky of fearing the will of the Ukrainian people, arguing that the president’s refusal to hold elections proves his lack of popular support. Musk further sided with Trump’s decision to ignore Zelensky in peace talks, labelling Zelensky’s government as a “massive graft machine” benefiting from the ongoing war.
Zelensky’s “Control” Over Public Opinion
Musk didn’t mince words when addressing Zelensky’s public approval ratings. The Ukrainian leader recently boasted a 57% approval in a poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), but Musk wasted no time in challenging this figure. “If Zelensky was actually loved by the people of Ukraine, he would hold an election,” Musk pointed out. “He knows he would lose in a landslide, despite having seized control of ALL Ukrainian media, so he cancelled the election.”
According to Musk, Zelensky’s refusal to call for an election isn’t just about war conditions—it’s a desperate attempt to maintain power. “In reality, he is despised by the people of Ukraine,” Musk claimed, further emphasizing that Zelensky’s grip on media and public opinion would make holding an election a risky move for the embattled president.
A Corrupt Regime Feeding Off War
Musk’s criticism of Zelensky goes beyond just political strategy. He accused the Ukrainian president of running a corrupt regime that profits off the ongoing conflict. “President Trump is right to ignore him and solve for peace independent of the disgusting, massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers,” Musk stated, echoing a growing sentiment among some critics of Ukraine’s leadership. Musk has long been sceptical of Western involvement in the war, and now he’s calling out the role of Ukraine’s leadership in perpetuating the crisis.
The 4% Approval Controversy
Building on an anonymous post, Musk suggested that Zelensky’s true approval rating is far lower than the polls show. “I challenge Zelensky to hold an election and refute this. He will not,” Musk boldly declared. He referred to claims that Zelensky’s approval rating might actually be as low as 4%, further fueling his accusations of a manipulated political system. Musk also highlighted that KIIS, the polling organization behind the 57% approval figure, has received funding from USAID—an agency Musk has criticized as a “criminal organization” for its role in propping up Zelensky’s administration.
Unfortunately, @CommunityNotes is increasingly being gamed by governments & legacy media.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025
Working to fix this …
It should be utterly obvious that a Zelensky-controlled poll about his OWN approval is not credible!!
If Zelensky was actually loved by the people of Ukraine, he… https://t.co/gy0NjtPwiq