Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and ally of US President Donald Trump, suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should be offered "amnesty" in a neutral country in exchange for a peaceful transition back to democracy in Ukraine. Musk made these remarks after sharing a post from a Trump supporter who criticized Zelensky, calling him a dictator. The post claimed that the Ukrainian leader is unwilling to pursue peace talks out of fear that losing power in elections would lead to prosecution for alleged money laundering. Musk commented, agreeing with the sentiment and suggesting that Zelensky should be given amnesty to facilitate the transition.

This comes amid increasing pressure on Zelensky from Trump, who has repeatedly referred to him as a dictator. On March 3, Trump warned that Zelensky "won’t be around very long" if he does not agree to a peace deal. It was later revealed that Trump had halted all US military aid to Ukraine. The suggestion to offer amnesty is part of a broader critique from Trump and his supporters, who believe that Zelensky’s refusal to engage in peace talks could escalate the conflict and jeopardize Ukraine's future.

This follows a pattern of Trump’s increasingly critical remarks about Zelensky, although just the day before Zelensky's planned visit to the US, Trump expressed surprise over his own use of the term "dictator" to describe the Ukrainian president.