Elon Musk: Odessa will fall if Ukraine war lasts long enough

Elon Musk has encouraged Kiev to negotiate with Moscow before risking losing access to the Black Sea. (Photo via Getty)

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has predicted that Russia will gain more territory the longer the Ukraine war goes on, warning that a protracted war will lead to the fall of Odessa as well.

“The longer the war goes on, the more territory Russia will gain until they hit the Dnepr, which is tough to overcome,” Musk wrote in a post on his X platform on Saturday.

“However, if the war lasts long enough, Odessa will fall too.”

The renowned entrepreneur also said that it was a “tragic waste of life” for Ukraine to attack a larger army that had defense in depth, minefields and stronger artillery when Ukraine lacked armor or air superiority.

“Any fool could have predicted that,” he asserted.

According to Musk, whether Ukraine loses all access to the Black Sea or not is the real remaining question.

He added, “I recommend a negotiated settlement before that happens.”

Musk had previously called on the United States to halt its provision of weapons to Ukraine, raising doubts about the possibility of Moscow’s defeat.

More than a year ago, he advised Kiev to abandon its territorial claim on Crimea, declare neutrality, and enable the four recently established Russian regions – Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye – to conduct fresh referendums on joining the Russian Federation.

The proposal mirrored the conditions presented by Russia to Kiev and Western nations before the outbreak of the conflict, with the exception that Moscow had initially proposed autonomy solely for Donetsk and Lugansk.

Moscow has restated its openness to engaging in constructive discussions with Kiev, placing responsibility on the Ukrainian government for impeding progress by ignoring the facts.

Russia launched what it calls “a special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, over the perceived threat of the ex-Soviet republic joining US-led NATO.

Since then, the United States and Ukraine’s other allies have sent Kiev tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems.

Western countries have also imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow. The Kremlin has said the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.