Russian lawmaker Mikhail Sheremet has warned that European war policies will push the continent onto the sidelines of history following remarks by Elon Musk.
Sheremet, a State Duma deputy representing Crimea, made the comments in response to statements by the American entrepreneur and SpaceX founder, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Musk had posted on the social media platform X, describing Europeans and neoconservatives who support continuing the conflict in Ukraine as bloodthirsty warmongers. He made the remarks while responding to another user on the network.
Reacting to Musk, Sheremet stated that the era of political figures who place blind faith in sanctions pressure and iron curtains has passed. He said history would soon cast into oblivion a wave of militant Western politicians who refuse to listen or act in the interests of their own citizens.
The Russian parliamentarian added that an inability in the West to acknowledge its mistakes has already sparked ideological division and economic decline across Europe.
Western political tensions
Sheremet represents the Crimean peninsula in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia. The legislature sits in Moscow and frequently issues commentary on relations between the Kremlin and Western capitals.
Musk, one of the wealthiest people in the world, acquired the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2022. He has regularly shared commentary on international diplomacy and the conflict in Ukraine with his hundreds of millions of followers.
Disputes over Starlink access
The American billionaire has previously clashed with Ukrainian officials over the conduct of the war. Musk earlier accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding restrictions placed on the Starlink satellite internet network for the Ukrainian armed forces.
SpaceX operates Starlink, a network of thousands of low Earth orbit satellites designed to provide broadband internet connections. Ukrainian military units have relied heavily on the satellite terminals for field communications and drone operations throughout the conflict.
Tensions between Moscow and Western European governments have escalated since 2022, as European nations have imposed sweeping economic sanctions on Russia and supplied military equipment to Ukrainian forces.
