A wealthy foreign citizen can turn social media reach into political pressure on smaller countries, and Ukraine’s president is drawing a line against it.
The Political Reach
In an interview with German television, Volodymyr Zelensky warned that a person with enormous wealth and access to US politics can put smaller countries at risk. Those countries must be free to choose their own leaders, he said. Even a bad choice made by voters is better than having someone imposed on them.
Zelensky was talking about more than Elon Musk’s ability to attract attention. He pointed to Musk’s posts about how Europe should live, who should lead Germany and who should hold power in Ukraine. Those statements carry weight coming from a wealthy person. Musk is a citizen of another country, Zelensky said, and has no right to interfere in those decisions.
Germany has already seen what that looks like. Ahead of its February 2025 Bundestag election, Musk endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany, saying only AfD could save the country. In January, he hosted an X conversation with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel. He later addressed an AfD campaign event by video, urging Germans not to dwell on guilt over their Nazi past and to take pride in their national identity. That was a billionaire using his platform to promote a party in another country’s election.
The War and the Service
Zelensky also objected to Musk’s remarks about Russian military casualties. Russia is the aggressor, he said, and its troops are fighting on Ukrainian territory. Whether Musk meant his comments seriously or as a joke, Zelensky said, the war is too serious for that kind of humour. Sympathy for the losses of an invading army cannot be detached from where those soldiers are fighting and why.
Gratitude for support does not give a wealthy foreign citizen a vote in another country’s government.
He accepted that criticism while still acknowledging SpaceX’s contribution. Zelensky thanked the company for Starlink connectivity, which helped Ukraine from the beginning of the full-scale war, and noted that Ukraine has been able to purchase the service.
Zelensky also thanked both US parties, including Republicans, for supporting Ukraine. He said Democrats have been especially clear in backing aid to Kyiv and welcomed their calls to rebuild ties between Washington and Europe. Those ties are vital for Ukraine. So is the distinction he drew throughout the interview: gratitude for support does not give a wealthy foreign citizen a vote in another country’s government.