Elon Musk has regularly communicated with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a wide array of topics over the past two years, according to a report.
The billionaire SpaceX owner and the Kremlin leader, who is still at war with Ukraine, have discussed geopolitical divisions, business and personal subjects since late 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing several current and ex-US, European and Russian officials.
During one conversation, Putin asked Musk not to turn on his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favor to China, two people briefed on the matter to the outlet.
The request came late last year, a former Russian intelligence officer told the Journal.
Starlink doesn’t have permission to offer internet service in Taiwan, which has slapped restrictions on non-Taiwanese satellite operators, according to the outlet. A Starlink map shows a service date is unknown at this time.
SpaceX, which runs Starlink, has business with the US military and intelligence agencies, allowing Musk security clearance to some classified information. But no red flags have been raised over possible security breaches concerning Musk’s communication with Putin, the newspaper reported.
Still, one person aware of the conversations reportedly said, “They don’t love it,” referring to US government’s thoughts on the Musk-Putin dialogue.
The federal government faces a conundrum because of how heavily it relies on Musk’s technologies, the person told the Journal.
Musk hasn’t commented on the story, but has said in the past it’s “absurd” that he would be labeled as an apologist for Russia.
He faced heat last year after he would not activate his Starlink satellite internet network near the Crimean coast for a Ukraine drone attack, but argued his tech is not meant for military operations.
A Kremlin spokesperson said the only contact Musk has had with Putin is over the telephone in which the pair talked about “space as well as current and future technologies.”
Musk has become a central figure in former President Donald Trump’s campaign to recapture the White House, appearing at rallies with the 45th president.
When asked about Musk’s ties to Putin, the Trump campaign lauded the Tesla CEO as a “once-in-a-generation industry leader” while stressing Trump would “re-establish his peace through strength foreign policy to deter Russia’s aggression and end the war in Ukraine,” according to the Journal.
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