Speaking to Biden administration Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday, a reporter with the White House press corp suggested that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is “spreading Russian propaganda” by floating a possible Ukrainian plan for peace to avoid nuclear war.
“Is the [Biden] administration concerned that Elon Musk is spreading Russian propaganda?” the reporter asked Jean-Pierre. “Uh, can you be more specific?” Jean-Pierre replied.
“Well, this weekend he put out this quote ‘peace plan’ that includes giving Russia Crimea and, like, redoing some of these elections, but with the UN watching, so, wondering if there’s concern there,” the reporter clarified.
“So, we’ve been very clear about this. Um, and I just said this earlier in the briefing, anything, uh, about Ukraine. We, we are not going to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine,” Jean-Pierre stammered. “Uh, it is their decision, uh, to make, uh, when it comes to, uh, any, uh, diplomacy or negotiations, uh, in that regard, and so, uh, I leave that to the Ukrainian, uh, people.”
“Uh, but look, you know, uh, we’re-we’re going to, make sure that, uh, we’re gonna be there for the Ukrainians as they fight for their own, uh, for their sovereignty and their, that decision about their sovereignty, about their freedom, about the democracy will be made, uh, with them,” the Press Secretary continued.
In response to the question about Musk, Jean-Pierre had referenced her earlier claims that Biden administration staff are always saying “nothing without Ukraine” when discussing US foreign policy interests.
“So, um, you know, we always say ‘nothing without Ukraine,’” Jean-Pierre said. “Nothing, no action on Ukraine without Ukraine. Right, that is something when it comes to um, any type of diplomacy or conversation that’s being had, uh, that certainly they have to, uh, be in the room for that, uh, for that piece.”
“Uh, and look, when it comes to the nuclear, uh, potential nuclear threat, we have been very clear about that,” she continued. “We take any, uh, nuclear weapons or nuclear saber rattling very seriously here.”
KJP: "We always say, nothing without Ukraine. Nothing, no action on Ukraine without Ukraine…We take any nuclear weapons or nuclear saber rattling very seriously here." pic.twitter.com/va8yqcwYeW
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 4, 2022
Musk listed off terms of what he believes could potentially bring peace to Eastern Europe amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict in a Twitter thread posted on Monday, which prompted Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany to tell him “f*ck off” after the billionaire suggested avoiding “nuclear war.”
Among the terms of the peace prospect included a United Nations-supervised “redo” of the referendums which saw several Ukrainian regions joining Russia last week, letting Crimea remain a part of Russia with an assured water supply, and a position of Ukrainian neutrality between Russia and NATO countries.
“This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end – just a question of how many die before then,” Musk wrote, adding that “that a possible, albeit unlikely, outcome from this conflict is nuclear war.”
Ukraine-Russia Peace:
– Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.
– Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).
– Water supply to Crimea assured.
– Ukraine remains neutral.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
Ostensibly in a reaction to Musk’s proposal for peace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a Twitter poll that appeared to cast doubts on the African American billionaire’s loyalty to the Kiev-based government.
Musk then clarified to Zelensky that he still supports Ukraine, but believes further escalation of the conflict could result in global catastrophe.
“I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world,” Musk told the Ukrainian leader.
I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
“Russia is doing partial mobilization. They go to full war mobilization if Crimea is at risk. Death on both sides will be devastating. Russia has >3 times population of Ukraine, so victory for Ukraine is unlikely in total war. If you care about the people of Ukraine, seek peace,” Musk wrote in a subsequent Twitter discussion.
This news and media by Andrew White originally appeared on Valiant News.
