Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo: Patrick Pleul
Billionaire Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest people and a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has been regularly discussing issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Kremlin officials since late 2022. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
According to sources, the topics of conversation range from personal and business to geopolitical issues. Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, also known as the owner of the social network X, initially supported Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 by donating Starlink communication terminals, which greatly helped the Ukrainian troops.
However, his position has changed. In May 2022, a Russian official said on Telegram that Musk would “answer like an adult” for supplying Starlink to the Azov battalion. Later, it turned out that the Kremlin was putting pressure on his business and making “implicit threats” against it. During the war, Musk restricted the use of Starlink for Ukrainian attacks on the Russian fleet, which caused a lot of criticism.
Musk, who denies having any sympathy for Moscow, claims to have spoken to Putin only once in April 2021 on space-related topics. However, according to the WSJ, his contacts with the Kremlin have become regular and included communication with Sergei Kiriyenko, Putin’s first deputy chief of staff.
Since the acquisition of X, experts have noted an increase in disinformation on the platform, which has raised concerns. Musk has used the platform to express his views on helping Ukraine, stressing that Russia is “not losing the war in any way”.
Putin, according to the WSJ, also asked Musk not to activate Starlink over Taiwan, as China considers the island its territory. Currently, Starlink does not operate in Taiwan.
The Kremlin denies holding talks with Musk, while White House officials claim to be unaware of them. According to the WSJ, Musk’s contacts with the Kremlin are a closely guarded secret in the US government due to his access to confidential information as a security and technology contractor.
At the same time, security fears have increased due to Russia’s use of Starlink terminals, which Russian troops use on the front line in Ukraine, despite Musk’s assurances that SpaceX does not sell equipment to Moscow.
This situation is becoming increasingly sensitive amid Musk’s active support for Trump, who has promised to appoint him to the position of chairman of the “Commission on Government Efficiency” if he wins the election. Trump has repeatedly criticised the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine, raising concerns about the future of US foreign policy if he is re-elected.
