Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., fired back at Elon Musk after the billionaire business tycoon labeled the lawmaker a “traitor” in response to a tweet in which Kelly advocated U.S. support for Ukraine.
“Just left Ukraine. What I saw proved to me we can’t give up on the Ukrainian people. Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraine’s security and can’t be a giveaway to Putin. Let me tell you about my trip and why it’s important we stand with Ukraine,” Kelly noted in his post.
“You are a traitor,” Musk replied.
The senator fired back, “Traitor? Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do.”
The U.S. has provided Ukraine billions in aid as the Eastern European nation has been at war in response to Russia’s invasion.
RUBIO SAYS MINERAL DEAL ‘NOT MAIN TOPIC ON AGENDA’ IN UKRAINE MEETING
Left: Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, United States on Aug. 22, 2024; Right: White House Senior Advisor Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) on March 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Left: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Right: Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
But last week, the U.S. announced that it was pausing aid.
“As President Trump and Secretary Rubio have said, it is the policy of the United States that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is unsustainable and must end. The United States will use our leverage, influence, and national power to advance peace and implement a sustainable solution to this conflict. The killing must stop,” the State Department noted.
“The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. Effective March 3, 2025, we are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
When asked last week whether America had paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that the U.S. was “pausing and reviewing all aspects … of this relationship.”
US CONTINUES TO SHARE DATA TO PROTECT UKRAINIANS AGAINST RUSSIAN STRIKES, DESPITE INTEL PAUSE: SOURCES
When President Donald Trump was asked on Sunday if he would consider lifting the intelligence pause on Ukraine, he replied, “Well, we just about have.”
The president added that there is a desire to “do anything we can to get Ukraine to be serious about … getting something done.”
Kelly’s initial post about Ukraine was just the beginning of a longer message on the topic.
“Donald Trump is trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand and we are owed an explanation. If Putin gains ground he won’t agree to a ceasefire and will eventually threaten a NATO ally and this puts American troops and the American people at risk,” Kelly declared in one of his tweets.
TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN ‘JUST ABOUT’ LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH
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“The world will become a very cold and lonely place if we continue this ridiculous ‘screw you, go it alone’ foreign policy. It’s dumb and it won’t age well and puts you and your kids and your grandkids at risk. America is the strongest, richest country in the world. We didn’t get there by being bullies like Putin, we got there by leading from the front and bringing our allies. That’s why I’ll continue to share with everyone who will listen why we must keep supporting Ukraine,” Kelly asserted at the conclusion of his comments.
