Musk in 'secret contact' with Putin, claims bombshell report
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has allegedly been in regular touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022, a report by The Wall Street Journal has said. The report cites intelligence sources who claim that these discussions continued into 2024, a time when Musk criticized US military support for Ukraine and got involved in Donald Trump's election campaign.
Putin's alleged request to Musk over Starlink activation
The conversations were reportedly on personal topics, business, and geopolitical tensions and took place between October 2022—when he proposed a controversial peace deal—and "into this year." The report further claims that Putin asked Musk not to activate his Starlink internet service over Taiwan. This was allegedly done as a diplomatic favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The revelations come at a critical juncture in the US election campaign and could potentially affect Musk's influence in political and business circles alike.
Musk's Starlink service and its role in Ukraine
Musk's Starlink service was instrumental in Ukraine after Russia invaded it in February 2022. The country was provided free access to Starlink initially, which helped it immensely in defending itself against Russian troops. However, Musk's relationship with Ukrainian authorities later turned sour, with Musk stopping funding for Starlink terminals for Ukraine and limiting its military usage for drone control.
Musk's controversial tweets and their aftermath
In early 2024, Ukrainian military intelligence reported that Russia was using Starlink on the Ukrainian front, further complicating matters. Responding to the allegations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said their only communication with Musk was a phone call discussing "space, as well as current and future technologies." According to The Wall Street Journal, knowledge of Musk's Kremlin contact appears to be a well guarded secret in the US government, with numerous White House officials claiming to be unaware of them.
