Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the end of 2022. That’s what the Wall Street Journal based on current and past government sources from the US, Europe and Russia. The two discussed geopolitical, business and also personal themes.
Musk did not respond to requests for comment from the business newspaper, and there was also no response from the world’s richest man on his own social network X. Through his X-profile he regularly spreads radical right-wing views and support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Two years ago, Musk denied reports that he would have contact with Putin. So those contacts did exist, the newspaper knows. The two were still in contact this year. Musk has already been asked by Putin not to activate his Starlink satellites in Taiwan, two sources with knowledge told the Journal. Putin wanted to do a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese regime claims Taiwan as part of its territory and supports Putin in his war with Ukraine
In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Musk deployed his Starlink satellites to provide Ukraine with internet after internet services were severely disrupted by Russian attacks. The US Department of Defense now has a contract with SpaceX for this purpose.
Nuclear weapons
However, Musk’s biography already showed that the tech billionaire had refused a Ukrainian request to also activate Starlink in the Crimean Peninsula, because he feared a military escalation with nuclear weapons. Putin regularly uses the nuclear weapons argument to avoid further involvement of the West in Ukraine.
In addition to being the owner of X, Musk is also CEO of Tesla and the space company SpaceX. His Tesla shares in particular make him one of the richest people in the world. SpaceX plays a key role in the American space program.
In his campaign, Trump has already announced that he will include Musk in his government if he wins the November 5 elections.