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Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "single combat" to settle the ongoing Ukraine invasion, which is now in its third week.
Musk later issued followup reply tagged with Putin's English-language Twitter page to inquire if Putin will accept his challenge.
I hereby challenge\n\u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u041f\u0443\u0442\u0438\u043d \nto single combat\n\nStakes are \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0430— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1647256162
\u0412\u044b \u0441\u043e\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0441\u043d\u044b \u043d\u0430 \u044d\u0442\u043e\u0442 \u0431\u043e\u0439? @KremlinRussia_E— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1647258816
Putin has not responded to Musk's request.
If Musk thought his publicity stunt would be well received, he was very much mistaken.
Musk was widely criticized by social media users who accused him of reducing a violent conflict with significant geopolitical implications to a street fight.
Men will literally challenge autocrats to combat before going to therapy.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Vick \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \u0421\u043b\u0430\u0432\u0430 \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0456! (@Vick \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \u0421\u043b\u0430\u0432\u0430 \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0456!) 1647283452
Look dude I know you're still angry no one wanted your toy submarine robot thing but this isn't the way to deal with those feelingshttps://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Elle Em (@Elle Em) 1647277244
Men, women and children have their lives destroyed and smarty boy here wants to be Tony Stark. I don't feel sorry that turd treated you like a fool.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Eskarina (@Eskarina) 1647336552
Elon Musk: "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat, stakes are Ukraine. Do you agree to this fight? I'm absolutely serious."\n\nSince when does 's richest man casually challenge the head of a nuclear power to a 1v1 battle in the midst of war? I think reality's broken.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Stefan Antonino \ud83c\udfb8\ud83c\udfb6 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 (@Stefan Antonino \ud83c\udfb8\ud83c\udfb6 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2) 1647267159
Elon has no authority regarding the legal status of statehood & sovereignty of Ukraine. People are suffering, innocents are being killed, cities are being bombed, women and children are dying: \nElon pushes publicity stunt. Shame on you.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344?s=20&t=BzYxfI_P90pPjepOQ88mOQ\u00a0\u2026— Anonymous (@Anonymous) 1647270304
Well am sure that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s need to unlock things in #Ukraine - a fistfight between Putin and Musk https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Jon Sopel (@Jon Sopel) 1647273634
Jokes aside, there is still lots of work to do to teach people in the West that #Ukraine has agency and is not an object of international competition.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Janis Kluge (@Janis Kluge) 1647333998
If you're going to make jokes about an ongoing brutal war they have to funny. If they're not funny and you're the richest man on the planet you should then donate $100 million to Ukrainian refugee relief effortshttps://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Danny Gold (@Danny Gold) 1647274941
You try to follow world events in the news like a normal person, then you go on twitter and see that the richest man in the world challenges Putin to a 1v1.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Nort (@Nort) 1647298217
Musk's tweet did attract the attention of Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
Rogozin called Musk a "little devil" and a "weakling" saying a fight between the two would only be "a waste of time."
\u0422\u044b, \u0431\u0435\u0441\u0435\u043d\u043e\u043a, \u0435\u0449\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0435\u043a,\n\u0421\u043e \u043c\u043d\u043e\u044e \u0442\u044f\u0433\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0431\u0435\u043d\u0435\u043a;\n\u042d\u0442\u043e \u0431\u044b\u043b\u043e \u0431 \u043b\u0438\u0448\u044c \u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0430.\n\u041e\u0431\u0433\u043e\u043d\u0438-\u043a\u0430 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u0430 \u043c\u043e\u0435\u0433\u043e \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0430.\n\n\u0410. \u0421. \u041f\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0438\u043d "\u0421\u043a\u0430\u0437\u043a\u0430 \u043e \u041f\u043e\u043f\u0435 \u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0435 \u0435\u0433\u043e \u0411\u0430\u043b\u0434\u0435"https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— \u0420\u041e\u0413\u041e\u0417\u0418\u041d (@\u0420\u041e\u0413\u041e\u0417\u0418\u041d) 1647258002
Rogozin went on to cite a 17th century fairytale by Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin titled "The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda," which tells the story of a lazy Russian orthodox priest who hires a cheap worker because he considers him a simpleton only to later be outsmarted by his servant.
Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, joked Musk could send Putin to Jupiter.
I am sure that @elonmusk can send Putin to Jupiter.https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1503327421839417344\u00a0\u2026— Mykhailo Fedorov (@Mykhailo Fedorov) 1647257945
When the invasion began three weeks ago, Fedorov launched a fundraiser for infrastructure repairs, saying in his tongue-in-cheek appeal donations would be used to launch Putin into space and send him to Jupiter.
"Until this happens, we give Ukrainians and the whole world a unique opportunity: to send Putin to Jupiter," Fedorov wrote on Twitter at the time, urging his followers to donate $2.99 "for a rocket" to get the job done.
Everyone wants Putin to die. Until this happens, we give Ukrainians and the whole world a unique opportunity: to send Putin to Jupiter. Donate $2.99 for a rocket. All funds will be directed to the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure! https://putler.io/\u00a0pic.twitter.com/hFi5i9wdvy— Mykhailo Fedorov (@Mykhailo Fedorov) 1646167905
Adding to the absurdity of this entire situation, Musk has confirmed he doesn't enjoy exercise, preferring fighting sports like taekwondo, karate, judo and Brazilian jiujitsu.