Elon Musk has hit out at Russian chess champion Garry Kasparov after he criticised Musk’s controversial proposals for peace in the country.
The Tesla CEO called Kasparov an “idiot” and a “douche” after being condemned for suggesting that Crimea should become a formal part of Russia as part of peace settlements in eastern Europe.
Musk previously suggested on Twitter that he has a solution to deliver a truce between the countries. He posted a poll suggesting that the sham referendums of annexed regions must be performed again under the supervision of the United Nations - with Russian aggressors leaving if it is the 'will of the people'.
He also suggested that Crimea should be part of Russia ‘like it has been since 1783', and that water supply to the region should be assured, before suggesting that Ukraine would remain neutral in the aftermath.
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Musk's proposal was met with a 'F**k off' comment from the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Melnyk. President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in to ask his Twitter followers which 'Musk' his followers preferred - the one who supports Ukraine, or the one who supports Russia.
Elon Musk previously attracted criticism for his peace proposals Getty images
Kasparov has now accused Musk of “moral idiocy and geopolitical blindness”.
The chess champion has been living in exile in Croatia after criticising President Vladimir Putin. He hit out at Musk’s comments while appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
“The cost is huge but Ukraine is paying this cost. So why are people sitting in the comfort of their mansions in Silicon Valley telling Ukraine how to conduct their own affairs?”
\u201c"The cost is huge but Ukraine is paying this cost. So why are people sitting in the comfort of their mansions in Silicon Valley telling Ukraine how to conduct their own affairs," says @Kasparov63 of @elonmusk. "It's moral idiocy and geopolitical blindness."\u201d— Squawk Box (@Squawk Box) 1666612301
\u201c@SquawkCNBC @Kasparov63 And I don\u2019t even own a house, let alone a \u201cmansion\u201d, you douche\u201d— Squawk Box (@Squawk Box) 1666612301
Musk responded by tweeting: “While it’s true that Kasparov is almost as good at playing chess as my iPhone, he is otherwise an idiot.
“And I don’t even own a house, let alone a ‘mansion,’ you douche,” Musk added.
He then followed up by saying that he, the richest man in the world, is currently “back to spare bedroom / couch surfing at friend’s houses in Silicon Valley, which I did for about a decade.”
“Frankly, I like it this way, as I get to see my friends, who I love, more often,” he added.
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