"One against one"

Musk brags about his challenge to Vladimir Putin

"What pisses me off is the years of carnage in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose," says Musk.

(Bild: AFP/ANGELA WEISS)

Elon Musk has once again underlined his unconventional role in the Ukraine conflict - and recalled an alleged challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The tech billionaire boasted on his platform X (formerly Twitter) that he had challenged him to a "one-on-one" fight. The statement is reminiscent of another bizarre challenge from Musk.

The background to the statement was a debate on X in which Musk defended himself against accusations that he was not critical enough of Russia. "I literally challenged Putin to a one-on-one fight over Ukraine," Musk wrote.

Musk wants "the meat grinder to stop"
 He also re-emphasized the importance of his company SpaceX for the Ukrainian army: "My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I shut it down."

At the same time, he called for an immediate end to the war: "What pisses me off is years of slaughter in a war of position that Ukraine will ultimately lose. Anyone who really thinks and understands wants the meat grinder to stop. PEACE NOW!!!"

Musk was thus recalling a declaration of war on Putin made back in 2022. Back then, he had written on X: "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to a one-on-one fight. The stakes are Ukraine." When a user asked him if he was serious, Musk replied: "Absolutely."

Ukraine aid to be cut off
Musk's latest statements were triggered by a post by US Senator Mike Lee, who spoke out against further financial aid for Ukraine. Musk supported this stance and instead suggested imposing sanctions on "the ten richest Ukrainian oligarchs, especially those with mansions in Monaco". He claimed this would end the war immediately.

Shady game with Ukraine
The Tesla CEO's statements have once again triggered discussions about his stance on the war in Ukraine. According to media reports, Musk recently described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "evil" for continuing the war - and even called on him to leave his own country so as not to stand in the way of possible peace.

Critics also accuse Musk of having an ambivalent relationship with Russia and criticizing the Ukrainian government more harshly than Putin's actions.

Reminiscent of bizarre challenge
The verbal outburst against Putin is also reminiscent of the widely publicized duel with another prominent opponent: Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg. Musk had already challenged the meta founder to a cage fight in the Colosseum in Rome in 2023, but the showdown never took place. Zuckerberg had repeatedly doubted that Musk was serious and accused him of using excuses to avoid the fight.

When Musk signaled his willingness again last year, Zuckerberg only replied curtly on the Threads platform: "Are we really doing this again?" If, contrary to expectations, Putin accepts Musk's challenge, it is unlikely to be an easy game for the tech billionaire.

The Russian ruler practised martial arts such as boxing, sambo and judo from an early age - he even has a black belt in the latter, according to his own statements.