Elon Musk has sparked fresh outrage regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 2022 Vogue photo shoot, condemning the leader for posing for the feature during the war with Russia.
Musk responded to a post on X for the Vogue cover with Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska photographed by famous shutterbug Annie Leibovitz. He wrote:
"He does this while children are dying in trenches on the war front."
The Vogue cover, captioned "Portrait of Bravery: Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska," was intended to promote the strength of Ukrainians during the war. It was criticized, though, especially by conservative pundits in America, for being insensitive in terms of timing.
Past Criticism
Musk is not alone in criticizing Zelenskyy for the photoshoot. Before him, U.S. Republican politicians such as Lauren Boebert and Mayra Flores had also condemned it.
- Boebert posted: "While we are sending $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, Zelenskyy is having his photoshoot with Vogue. These folks believe we are all suckers."
- Flores chimed in:
"Biden: Let's keep sending billions of dollars in foreign aid to Ukraine, they need it! Reality: The Zelensky family blesses us with a photo shoot to be on the cover of Vogue magazine."
Zelenskyy's Defense
Zelenskyy had earlier defended the shoot, citing that employing international media was vital to communicating Ukraine's plight to the world.
"If you want people to see you as you are, you need to use what people use," he added.
His wife, Olena Zelenska, also addressed Vogue regarding the suffering Ukrainians experienced during the war, referring to it as "the most horrible months of my life."
Musk's remark contributes to continued discussion of how political leaders should represent themselves in times of war, particularly as American financial support for Ukraine continues to be controversial.
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