‘Sleepwalking our way into World War III’: Elon Musk’s weighs in on Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia conflict

Elon Musk, during a Spaces discussion on X, argued that the Western approach of sending Ukrainian soldiers into a perilous situation against their Russian counterparts is akin to a "meat grinder." He called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the normalisation of relations with Moscow to prevent the possibility of a third world war. 

The conversation, hosted by David Sacks and featuring GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, shifted from the initial topic of Israel and Hamas to a broader debate on geopolitics. The consensus among these tech entrepreneurs was that Western sanctions played a role in pushing Russia closer to China.

“We are sleepwalking our way into World War III with one foolish decision after the other,” Musk said.

Musk, drawing on his experiences dealing with defence and intelligence communities as SpaceX CEO and his meetings with world leaders, expressed concerns about the breakdown in communication channels between major powers. He emphasised that this lack of communication fosters an environment of suspicion, where each side may believe the other is preparing for an attack. 

Musk also noted that Russia and China had begun joint military exercises, a development that he believed many people might not be aware of. He warned that the world might be unknowingly heading towards a third world war with a series of unwise decisions.

The Western decision to impose extensive sanctions on Vladimir Putin may have had unintended consequences as Moscow sought support from Beijing. Musk criticised this move, pointing out that it left Russia and China as a potentially powerful alliance, with Russia providing raw materials and China having the industrial capacity, creating a significant military capability. 

“Russia has the raw materials, and China has the industrial capacity: It’s frankly a perfect match from a war standpoint,” Musk said. 

You can listen to their full conversation here.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced on February 24, 2022. Reports of Russian military actions surfaced in major cities throughout Ukraine, including Berdyansk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, and the capital city, Kyiv. According to Statista, as of September 2023, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirmed the tragic loss of 9,614 civilian lives in Ukraine during the conflict. This war gave rise to a severe humanitarian crisis, leading to the internal displacement of thousands of Ukrainians and the flight of many abroad. Neighbouring Poland recorded the highest number of border crossings from Ukraine, tallying approximately 14.4 million as of August 2023, followed by Russia, Hungary, and Romania.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

The conflict between Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups and Israel ignited on October 7, 2023, through a coordinated surprise offensive on Israel. The attack commenced with a morning barrage of at least 5,000 rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into Israel. Around 2,500 Palestinian militants breached the Gaza-Israel barrier and targeted civilian communities and IDF military bases near the Gaza Strip. At least 1,400 Israelis, primarily civilians, lost their lives, including 260 individuals at a music festival in Re'im. Additionally, hundreds of civilian hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, were abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip.

Israel responded with retaliatory strikes before formally declaring war on Hamas a day later. The Israeli forces cleared Hamas presence from the southern Israeli communities where these tragic events occurred and conducted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of over 5,000 Palestinian lives. 

Concerns about a humanitarian crisis escalated when Israel cut off food, water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, which had already been blockaded by both Egypt and Israel. Israel urged 1.1 million Gazans to evacuate northern Gaza, while Hamas called on residents to stay in their homes and blocked roads leading south. According to the United Nations, approximately 1 million Palestinians, nearly half of the Gaza Strip's population, have been internally displaced due to this conflict.

Also Read

‘Waste of public money’: Israel’s Public Diplomacy minister quits amid Israel-Hamas war

Hamas' Telegram channel grows 3X after Israel attack; CEO explains why it isn't banned yet