U.S. billionaire Elon Musk had secret talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the war in Ukraine, shifting his initial support for Kyiv to Moscow’s favor. These private conversations reportedly covered personal, business, and geopolitical topics and occurred between October 2022 and into this year. The contacts with Putin continued as Musk began criticizing U.S. military aid to Ukraine and endorsed former President Donald Trump’s latest bid for office, in line with Trump’s proposal to cut a deal over the war in Ukraine.
Musk was also reported to be in regular conversations with high-level Russians, including Putin’s first deputy chief of staff Sergei Kiriyenko, amid pressure from the Kremlin on his businesses and implicit threats against him. The U.S. government is said to be aware of these contacts but has not raised any alerts regarding possible security breaches. In response to the allegations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Musk and Putin had only one phone call, during which they discussed space and future technologies. While Musk did not respond to WSJ’s request for comment, he mentioned in October 2022 that he had discussed space with Putin in April 2021.
WSJ also reported that Putin had asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. However, Starlink currently does not provide service to Taiwan. The Kremlin denied the allegations in WSJ’s report, stating that Putin had only one conversation with Musk, which occurred before 2022. The conversation reportedly focused on visionary technologies and technological solutions for the future, as claimed by Peskov during a daily briefing with journalists.
The reported engagement between Musk and Putin comes at a time when the U.S. government is closely monitoring Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the global geopolitical landscape. Musk’s shifting stance on the conflict and his interactions with Russian officials have raised concerns about his ties to the Kremlin and the implications for his businesses. While the Biden administration has not raised any alarms over the reported contacts, the situation underscores the complexities of navigating political and business interests in a volatile international environment.
As the situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, Musk’s involvement in secret talks with Putin adds a layer of intrigue to the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia, the U.S., and their allies. The alleged discussions between the two leaders, along with Musk’s changing public statements and endorsements, further complicate the already delicate balance of power in the region. With both sides denying the extent of their interactions, the true nature and implications of Musk’s relationship with Putin remain subject to speculation and scrutiny by international observers and policymakers.
