Trump supporter Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022, according to a newspaper report. The tech billionaire has so far remained silent about the accusations and prefers to let his donations speak for themselves.
The Wall Street Journal relies on several current and former government officials from the United States, Europe and Russia in its research. The conversations between Musk and Putin covered geopolitical, business and personal topics.
The extremely wealthy entrepreneur did not respond in advance to the newspaper’s requests for comment and initially did not comment after the publication of the report.
Musk is pumping even more millions into the Trump campaign
Instead, he posted more messages in support of former President Donald Trump on his online platform X, through which he regularly spreads right-wing conservative views. In the first half of October, he also donated another $44 million to his pro-Donald Trump group ‘America PAC’. This is evident from federal documents published on Thursday.
Musk has once again increased his support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the elections on November 5. Musk also donated about $10 million to the Republican Senate campaign. The billionaire has already pumped more than $129 million into Trump’s election campaign.
Trump also had contact with Putin
These amounts give the research by the conservative American newspaper extra clout. The reports about contacts with Putin are also explosive because Trump is also said to have had regular contact with the Kremlin boss – and publicly admired the autocrat.
Two years ago, Musk explicitly denied a report about alleged contact with Putin. But the contacts actually existed and continued until this year, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing a current and a former intelligence officer.
Musk was once asked by Putin not to activate the Starlink satellite communications system in Taiwan, it was also said, citing two people as sources with knowledge of the matter. With this, Putin wanted to please Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who claims control over Taiwan and supports Putin in his war of aggression against Ukraine.
Billionaire has access to classified information
Musk is, among other things, head of SpaceX. The space company currently plays a key role in the US space program – both civilian and military. That is why Musk has permission for confidential information.
A person with knowledge of Musk’s communications with Putin told the newspaper that federal officials found communications between the two “not great.” There are currently no concerns about threats to homeland security.
Crucial role in the war in Ukraine
Following the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022, SpaceX equipped the Ukrainian armed forces with Starlink terminals that replaced the mobile infrastructure destroyed by Russian forces. The US Department of Defense now has a contract with SpaceX for this purpose.
From Musk’s biography we learned that he wanted to prevent a Ukrainian attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. Musk had therefore rejected the Ukrainian request to activate Starlink in the area – justifying this with fear of a military escalation involving nuclear weapons.
Musk is aiming for a political position
Republican presidential candidate Trump has promised to put Musk in charge of a commission that will scrutinize US government spending if he wins the November 5 election. Conflicts of interest may arise because SpaceX is a US government contractor and Tesla is dependent on the decisions of US regulators. At the same time, Musk’s companies are the focus of several investigations.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
