SpaceX CEO Elon Musk could also be a U.S. citizen, however we’ve recognized for some time that he was at the least sympathetic to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin after he refused to permit Ukraine to make use of Starlink to assault Russian ships within the Black Sea with drones. Then, as if there was any doubt, he went all-in on Trump. Because it seems, Musk’s Russia connection truly runs a lot deeper, because the SpaceX CEO “has been in common contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022,” the Wall Road Journal studies.
This data was reportedly confirmed not solely by a number of present and former U.S. and European intelligence officers but additionally by Russians, as effectively. Whereas they did focus on “private matters,” Musk and Putin additionally allegedly talked “enterprise and geopolitical tensions.” Two sources have reportedly confirmed that Putin as soon as requested Musk to not activate Starlink in Taiwan “as a favor to Chinese language chief Xi Jinping.”
The Wall Road Journal doesn’t have a file of each subject Musk and Putin have mentioned, however the truth that Musk would willingly converse with Putin is dangerous sufficient. Their dialogue of Musk involving himself in worldwide affairs is much more egregious and suggests they doubtless talked about way over simply preserving Starlink out of Taiwan. Nonetheless, the true extent of their relationship is probably going nonetheless solely recognized by a couple of intelligence officers, as a number of White Home officers informed the WSJ they had been unaware of Musk’s common contact with the Kremlin and the newspaper referring to it as “a intently held secret.”
As you may think about, the truth that a Division of Protection contractor with a safety clearance is in common communication with an enemy dictator raises various nationwide safety considerations. Whether or not or not this quantities to treason is one thing for attorneys and the courts to determine, however make no mistake, that is severe. Sadly for us, NASA’s dependence on SpaceX means many officers reportedly really feel their fingers are tied. “They don’t like it,” one supply mentioned earlier than confirming the administration has but to hint again any particular safety leaks to Musk.
Whereas Musk’s communications with Putin and different Russian officers seem to have kicked off after Russia invaded Ukraine, he’s lengthy been fascinated with Russia and its area program. Putin additionally isn’t the one right-wing politician that Musk has spoken with even when that relationship is by far essentially the most damning:
Musk has lengthy had a fascination with Russia and its area and rocket packages. Walter Isaacson’s biography of Musk mentioned the businessman traveled to Moscow in 2002 to barter the acquisition of rockets for his fledgling area program, however handed out throughout a vodka-heavy lunch. The sale finally failed, although his Russian hosts gave Musk a bottle of vodka together with his likeness superimposed on a drawing of Mars.
The billionaire’s conversations with Putin and Kremlin officers spotlight his rising inclination to stretch past enterprise and into geopolitics. He has met a number of instances and talked enterprise with Javier Milei of Argentina, in addition to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whom he defended in an acrimonious on-line debate.
Putin is on a distinct order of magnitude. The Russian chief has created an authoritarian system that oversees fraudulent elections and the assassinations of political opponents, for which President Biden known as him a “killer.” With keys to one of many world’s strongest nuclear arsenals and rising territorial ambitions in Europe, Putin has develop into the U.S.’s chief antagonist.
Labeling him a “despot,” the Treasury Division took the bizarre step in 2022 of blacklisting him for invading Ukraine, placing him in the identical firm with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.
Newsweek additionally not too long ago reported that the Ukrainian army found a Starlink terminal on a downed Russian drone. It isn’t clear whether or not Musk had something to do with that, nevertheless it actually raises various questions. On the very least, we have to know why Starlink hasn’t carried out a greater job of denying entry to the Russian army. You realize, as a result of they’re an enemy nation that began a struggle with one in every of our nation’s allies, and the very last thing a U.S. firm ought to be doing proper now could be serving to the Russians.
Even when Musk hasn’t betrayed any state secrets and techniques or instantly interfered with U.S. international coverage, that is dangerous. Every other contractor caught red-handed like this might have already misplaced their safety clearance. Positive, he’s wealthy, highly effective and well-connected inside the continued far-right energy seize. No matter how wealthy he’s and the way essential SpaceX is to the federal authorities, this can’t be swept beneath the rug. The general public must demand investigations. Drag Musk in entrance of Congress to testify. We are able to’t simply let this go away. The true extent of Musk’s communications with Putin and different Russian officers must be uncovered.
Then once more, if Trump wins in November, none of this may actually matter. Musk will probably be rewarded, almost definitely with a place within the new Trump administration, the help we ship Ukraine will probably be minimize off and issues will solely worsen from there. So fingers crossed that Harris wins and sufficient of a spine to demand a severe investigation of Musk. If that ends in federal prices and the federal government forcing him out of SpaceX, so be it. He ought to have considered that earlier than he began taking an enemy dictator’s calls.
