Wall Street Journal reporters cited several current and former U.S., European and Russian officials in their findings.
They said the billionaire had been meeting with the Russian leader for at least two years, from late 2022 to 2024. Musk and Putin discuss personal, business and geopolitical topics.
Russia. Secret contacts between Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin
In addition to his talks with Putin, Musk is said to have met “regularly” with “high-ranking Russian officials,” including Deputy Director of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko.
The billionaire was at one point under pressure from the Kremlin, according to a WSJ source. The idea was to deliver Starlink to the Azov battalion in Ukraine. He received threats in public such as: Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos at the time.
See also: Donald Trump is back on the offensive. He took to the stage with Elon Musk
The daily notes that the contacts have intensified as the billionaire's position on support for Ukraine has changed. At one point, Musk allegedly began promoting Russian propaganda theories. In this regard, WSJ recalls the peace proposal that the Tesla founder presented in October 2022.
He postulated, among other things, that: These include the return of Crimea to Russia, fresh elections in the annexed territory, and neutrality for Ukraine in line with some of the Kremlin's demands.
Peace between Ukraine and Russia:
– Redo elections in annexed territories under UN supervision. If that is the will of the people, Russia will leave.
– Crimea officially became part of Russia since 1783 (until Khrushchev's mistake).
– Water supply to Crimea is ensured.
– Ukraine remains neutral.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
But Musk later denied reports that his “Ukraine peace plan” was inspired by Russia. He claimed that he spoke with President Putin only once in 2021, and that the topic of the conversation was “space.”
Russia. President Putin asked Musk for a favor.
The American journalists' findings also showed that in late 2023, President Vladimir Putin told Musk not to launch Starlink, a satellite internet network over Taiwan that would have given Chinese leader Xi Jinping an advantage. It also shows that the request was made.
According to the WSJ, the businessman's contacts with the Russian leader are due to Musk's company SpaceX's role as a U.S. government contractor and key partner in the space program, leading to the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. is causing concern.
See also: Did Donald Trump threaten Vladimir Putin? “It hits straight into the heart of Moscow.”
However, some US media reported that this article was published just before the US presidential election, and shortly after receiving a warning from the Justice Department regarding a recent lottery organized by a billionaire known for his sympathies with Donald Trump. It points out that it was.
Elon Musk has not yet commented on the media revelations about him. It's worth remembering that two weeks ago there were reports of secret conversations between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Journalist Bob Woodward, famous for discovering the Watergate scandal, explained this by claiming that Trump had spoken to Putin both while he was president and after he left the White House.
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