Elon Musk, the influential CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and social platform X, has reportedly maintained ongoing contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This revelation, sourced from several current and former officials across the US, Europe, and Russia, suggests that Musk and Putin discuss various topics, ranging from personal interests and business matters to pressing geopolitical issues.
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The nature of these conversations has reportedly been closely guarded, with only a limited number of the US government aware of the ongoing dialogue.
According to one official, the US administration is uneasy about Musk's connection to the Kremlin, particularly as Washington considers Putin its primary adversary. However, it is said that no official warnings have been issued to Musk regarding his interaction.
“They don’t love it,” the source said, referring to the contact between the two. However, they said the administration has not raised any alerts about possible security breaches by Musk.
Musk's unique position - with significant business links to the US military and intelligence communities and access to sensitive information - has heightened concerns among many American officials.
The concern is not entirely new: in October 2022, political scientist Jan Bremmer claimed Musk had spoken with Putin, with the Kremlin chief reportedly willing to negotiate for peace with conditions that included Ukrainian neutrality and territorial concessions.
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Musk, however, later clarified publicly that he had only spoken with Putin once, in early 2021, and that the topic was limited to space.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Musk’s interactions with Russia date back to early 2021, when he publicly invited Putin to join a conversation on Clubhouse, a social media platform for live audio discussions.
The Kremlin expressed interest but sought clarification on the invitation, and discussions did not proceed further at that time.
Reports indicate that Musk’s contact with Russia expanded to inlcude senior Russian officials, including Sergei Kiriyenko, the first deputy head of the Russian presidential administration.
Sources suggest these conversations took place under pressure from Moscow, including what appeared to be implicit threats against Musk’s business interests.
For instance, Dmitry Rogozin, then-head of Roscosmos, publicly warned that Musk would “have to answer” for the Pentagon’s provision of Starlink communication systems to Ukrainian forces in Mariupol in May 2022.
Musk’s role became more controversial after reports from Ukrainska Pravda revealed that in September 2022, Starlink lost connection just as Ukraine launched a marine drone attack on Russian naval forces in Sevastopol Bay.
The mission targeted the Admiral Makarov frigate, with drones carrying explosives tracked by top Ukrainian officials. Sources say Starlink was disabled about 70 kilometers from the target, leaving some drones adrift and the mission ultimately unsuccessful. Attempts to restore the connection reportedly went unanswered.
Despite this setback, Ukraine adjusted its drone operations and successfully hit Russian assets in Sevastopol that October. Although only two drones from the initial attack returned, they provided valuable data for ongoing military improvements.
In September 2023, CNN reported that Musk had ordered the Starlink disconnection, fearing escalation. Musk later explained that Starlink “had never been activated in the relevant regions. Therefore, they couldn't have been deactivated.”
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