Tech billionaire and vocal Trump supporter Elon Musk has regularly spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin for at least two years, according to a new report, Daniel Hampton reported for Raw Story.
The pressure reportedly stemmed from Putin having asked Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellites over Taiwan. I Photo: Elon Musk X
Several current and former officials from the US, Europe, and Russia told The Wall Street Journal that Musk discussed personal, business, and geopolitical issues with Putin. At one point, Putin asked Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellites over Taiwan.
The report revealed that in 2022, Musk was under public and private pressure from the Kremlin.
"In May 2022, Russia’s space chief posted on Telegram that Musk would 'answer like an adult' for supplying Starlink to Ukraine’s Azov battalion, which the Kremlin singled out for the ultraright ideology of some members," the Journal reported.
Later in 2022, Musk reportedly had regular conversations with "high-level Russians," with implicit threats from the Kremlin against Musk’s businesses.
During this time, Musk began to push more Russia-aligned stances, including concerns about the cost of SpaceX funding for Ukrainian terminals and promoting peace plans that mirrored aspects of Russia’s position in Ukraine.
Musk has also become more critical of US military aid to Ukraine. This comes after the Justice Department reportedly sent Musk a warning letter following his lottery aimed at voters in swing states.
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