Musk most recently called for British PM Keir Starmer to be jailed and suggested the US should invade the United Kingdom.

WASHINGTON − Elon Musk is keeping the pressure on European leaders. Musk frequently wields his 211.5-million-follower account on X, the social media platform he bought for $44 billion in 2022, to air political grievances and promote far-right issues.

Now Musk's escalating criticism and mocking of European leaders and governments, which he has done repeatedly via X, the social media platform he owns, has sparked a backlash from European governments amid increasing calls for regulatory action in Europe against X.

PARIS — Europeans are quickly learning a lesson that Americans internalized years ago: They ignore Elon Musk at their peril. Until recently, Europe’s main challenge from Musk was mustering the means to enforce tech and trade rules on a billionaire mogul whose firms’ annual revenue exceeds British or German yearly defense spending.