A heated exchange has erupted between US Senator Mark Kelly and billionaire Elon Musk after Musk labeled the Arizona Democrat a “traitor” for his recent visit to Ukraine.
Tensions between the US and Ukraine have escalated since President Donald Trump took office in January, with his administration taking a much harder stance on the war. Trump has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III” and has significantly reduced military aid to the country.
Musk, who leads the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) within Trump’s administration, has also been vocal in his criticism of Ukraine.
Amid discussions of a potential peace deal with Russia, Kelly traveled to Ukraine, sharing his experience in a post on X.
“Just left Ukraine. What I saw proved to me we can’t give up on the Ukrainian people,” he wrote. “Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraine’s security and can’t be a giveaway to Putin.”
Kelly emphasized Ukraine’s resilience, describing its people as having a “fighting spirit” and “depth of experience” unmatched anywhere in the world. He argued that standing by Ukraine now could ensure their support for the U.S. in the future.
“My goal in the Senate is and will continue to be to keep us out of wars,” Kelly added. “But if war ever came to US soil, the first call I’d want to make is to our Ukrainian friends.”
Musk, however, was unimpressed, responding to Kelly’s post by calling him a “traitor.” The remark sparked immediate backlash, with the senator firing back in a sharp reply.
“Traitor? Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do,” Kelly shot back.
Their exchange comes at a turbulent time for Musk, who reported a “massive cyberattack” on his social media platform, X, on Monday, March 10. The platform suffered widespread outages and glitches throughout the day, with Musk suggesting the attack was orchestrated by a large group or possibly even an entire nation.
Speaking to Fox News, Musk claimed that the IP addresses behind the cyberattack could be traced to “the Ukraine area,” a comment that Ciaran Martin, professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government stated was “wholly unconvincing” and “pretty much garbage”, per BBC.
The incident adds yet another layer to the ongoing political divide over U.S. support for Ukraine, as Trump’s administration continues to distance itself from Zelenskyy’s government while figures like Kelly push for ongoing aid and military backing.
As the debate rages on, it’s clear that America’s role in the conflict remains a deeply polarizing issue—both in Washington and beyond.
READ MORE
- Elon Musk speaks out after “Nazi salute” accusations
- Stranded astronauts speak out after Elon Musk’s politics claim
