The latest controversy surrounding tech billionaire Elon Musk centers on his online platform X (formerly Twitter) blocking the account of Yulia Navalnya, widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who reportedly died in an Arctic penal colony.
Yulia Navalnya had demanded the return of her husband’s body, stating, “Return Alexei’s body and let us give him a dignified burial – don’t prevent people from saying goodbye to him.”
X has not yet provided clarification on the alleged violations committed by Yulia Navalnya, a prominent figure in the Russian opposition. However, an hour later, her account was accessible again.
This incident has once again brought attention to Musk’s perplexing statements and actions concerning Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia, and the conflict in Ukraine. Musk faced criticism recently for offering a platform to right-wing populist Tucker Carlson for his controversial interview with Putin on X.
During discussions with Senate Republicans regarding a new $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, Musk’s stance on the conflict appeared ambiguous. He spread Putin propaganda by suggesting that there was “virtually no chance that Russia will lose the war” and opposed additional military aid, despite Ukrainian troops facing shortages of ammunition and being forced to retreat to frontline positions.
The Wall Street Journal has mockingly referred to Musk as “Moscow Musk,” highlighting his apparent allowance of X to become a platform for Kremlin propagandists.
Musk’s track record concerning Russia has been mixed, initially providing crucial aid to Ukraine by supplying terminals for the Starlink satellite internet, which gave Ukrainian defenders a strategic advantage. However, he later deactivated the network regionally when Ukraine intended to attack the Russian navy in Crimea, allegedly resulting in an underwater drone controlled by Starlink washing up on the shore.
Moreover, Musk’s proposed peace plan echoed Russian propaganda, suggesting that Moscow should retain control of Crimea, and Ukraine should remain neutral and refrain from joining NATO.
Terry Virts, former commander of the ISS space station, raised a pointed question on X: “Why is a US defense contractor (Elon), who receives billions of dollars in contracts from the Department of Defense, criticizing US security policy in favor of our enemy Russia?”
