Tesla CEO and founder of Space X Elon Musk has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “single combat,” with the winner getting Ukraine.
Musk issued the challenged on Twitter Monday, calling out Putin and saying the stakes are Ukraine, using the Ukrainian spelling of the country.
The head of the Russian space agency, who got into a Twitter war with American astronaut Scott Kelly last week, called Musk a “weakling.”
“You, little devil, are still young,” Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Roscosmos, wrote. “Compete with me weakling; It would only be a waste of time. Overtake my brother first.”
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov also responded to Musk’s challenge.
Kadyrov, a top Putin ally, said, “I would not advise you to compete with Putin.”
As of yet, Putin has not directly responded to Musk.
In the days following the invasion, Musk announced a plan to roll out internet service from his satellite company, Starlink. Satellite dishes needed for the service arrived a day later.
Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov worked with Musk to get the internet service, and Monday posted his support for Musk in a fight with Putin.
“I am sure that @elonmusk can send Putin to Jupiter,” Fedorov replied to the original tweet. The tweet included an image of Putin locked in a spaceship en route to the planet.
©2022 Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/Z5N7VLQF5FGSLDPFDKUYVV24C4.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/04-27-2024/t_6e67c018b0524e8495a3670ee78061d0_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/Z4F2WM64R5CMHCWAOPTLJEDAWQ.png)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/03-07-2024/t_a04eea43993e4d4a91177d329640b460_name_Tran_6p_Everett_Woman_homicide_LL_pkg_frame_22938.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CH6NVD32C5F5VOLP4GC5G2MDHM.jpg)