Elon Musk Warns Probability of Nuclear War 'Rising Rapidly'

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Sunday that there is an increasing chance that the world could see a nuclear war as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to rage on.

"Nuclear war probability is rising rapidly," Musk wrote in response to a post in which he was mentioned by a Twitter user who praised the billionaire's suggestion to de-escalate the Russian conflict in Ukraine.

In the original tweet, Twitter user Max Tegmark wrote: "Here's why I think there's now a one-in-six chance of an imminent global #NuclearWar, and why I appreciate @elonmusk and others urging de-escalation."

Tegmark shared a blog article that he shared in his tweet in which he wrote about hypothetical scenarios that involve outcomes of Russia escalating tensions and possible responses by NATO and the West.

Ukrainian forces have recently achieved a number of successful advances against the Russian army in the south of Ukraine as it continues to regain some of its territories. Ukrainian successes also included its counteroffensive operations in other regions as well, including eastern Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk.

However, concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin's potentially using nuclear weapons continue to mount. President Joe Biden recently warned against the risk of an "Armageddon" and said that the Russian leader "is not joking" about using nuclear weapons.

"We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since [President John] Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis," Biden said at a fundraising event in New York. "We have a direct threat of the use of nuclear weapons, if in fact things continue down the path they are going."

Putin previously warned that Moscow will use "all available means" to protect itself. Although, he hasn't explicitly said that his country will launch a nuclear strike, he has repeatedly expressed that he will respond to threats that target his country's existence. Last month, Putin announced a "partial mobilization" of 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine.

John Erath, senior policy director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a U.S.-based nonprofit, told Newsweek on Friday that a scenario where the war in Ukraine ends in a Russian victory might encourage Putin and other authoritarian leaders to make nuclear threats in the future.

"The other big danger here is [the] war is resolved, paused, concluded, frozen—whatever word you want to use—on terms that are favorable to Russia or in terms that provide Russia with a reason to claim victory," Erath said.

He added that "nuclear threats will be perceived as having worked" if the war ends after Russia manages to control more Ukrainian territory, changes Ukrainian government, or be assured that Ukraine doesn't try to join NATO.

Last week, Musk announced a plan on Twitter that would bring peace to Ukraine that would end the war. One suggestion the Tesla CEO made was for Ukraine to recognize Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, as a Russian territory.

Musk also proposed redoing elections of annexed regions under United Nations supervision, adding that "Russia leaves if that is [the] will of the people," and for Ukraine to remain "neutral." His proposal was tweeted as a poll, asking his followers to vote "yes" or "no" on his plan.

Musk's de-escalation proposal was met with mixed reactions, including criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who created a poll on Twitter asking: "Which @elonmusk do you like more?"

In a response to Zelensky's poll, Musk tweeted: "I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world."

Meanwhile, Andrij Melnyk, Ukraine's outgoing ambassador to Germany, tweeted: "F**k off is my very diplomatic reply to you."

Still, Musk's plan was praised by Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov who welcomed the proposal and said that the Tesla CEO is "still trying to look for ways to achieve peace."

"Many ideas deserve attention there," Peskov said in an interview with state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti. "As for holding referendums, residents have already expressed their opinion. And there can be nothing else here...But, I repeat once again, the fact itself is very positive."

Newsweek reached out to Tesla's media office and Andrew Futter, an international politics professor at the University of Leicester for comment.