Elon Musk has suggested that sanctioning Ukraine’s top ten oligarchs could bring about a swift resolution to the conflict with Russia. He offered the unusual proposal in a post on X on Saturday.
Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was responding to a discussion on US financial aid to Ukraine. He has frequently criticized US support for Kiev, while in general advocating reducing federal spending on foreign assistance.
“Place sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. That is the key to the puzzle,” Musk wrote in response to a post by Senator Mike Lee, who called for the US to halt financial aid to Kiev. Musk did not elaborate on how exactly such a move would impact the conflict.
According to the news outlet Ukrainian Focus, as of September 2024, topping the list of the country’s wealthiest people was Rinat Akhmetov, owner of industrial conglomerate SCM Group. He was followed by Interpipe Group owner Viktor Pinchuk, former President Petro Poroshenko, Dneprazot owner Igor Kolomoisky, and Ferrexpo owner Konstantin Zhevago.