SpaceX CEO Elon Musk could also be a U.S. citizen, however we’ve recognized for some time that he was not less than 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 Avenue Journal studies.
This data was reportedly confirmed not solely by a number of present and former U.S. and European intelligence officers but in addition by Russians, as nicely. 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 Avenue Journal doesn’t have a report of each subject Musk and Putin have mentioned, however the truth that Musk would willingly communicate with Putin is dangerous sufficient. Their dialogue of Musk involving himself in worldwide affairs is much more egregious and suggests they doubtless talked about excess of simply retaining Starlink out of Taiwan. Nonetheless, the true extent of their relationship is probably going nonetheless solely recognized by a number of intelligence officers, as a number of White Home officers instructed the WSJ they had been unaware of Musk’s common contact with the Kremlin and the newspaper referring to it as “a carefully held secret.”
As you possibly can 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 resolve, however make no mistake, that is severe. Sadly for us, NASA’s dependence on SpaceX means many officers reportedly really feel their arms are tied. “They don’t like it,” one supply stated 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 taken with Russia and its house 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 house and rocket packages. Walter Isaacson’s biography of Musk stated the businessman traveled to Moscow in 2002 to barter the acquisition of rockets for his fledgling house program, however handed out throughout a vodka-heavy lunch. The sale in the end 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 unique 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 grow to be the U.S.’s chief antagonist.
Labeling him a “despot,” the Treasury Division took the weird 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 lately reported that the Ukrainian navy found a Starlink terminal on a downed Russian drone. It isn’t clear whether or not Musk had something to do with that, but it surely actually raises various questions. On the very least, we have to know why Starlink hasn’t performed a greater job of denying entry to the Russian navy. You already know, as a result of they’re an enemy nation that began a warfare with certainly one of our nation’s allies, and the very last thing a U.S. firm ought to be doing proper now’s serving to the Russians.
Even when Musk hasn’t betrayed any state secrets and techniques or straight interfered with U.S. international coverage, that is dangerous. Another contractor caught red-handed like this might have already misplaced their safety clearance. Certain, he’s wealthy, highly effective and well-connected inside the continued far-right energy seize. No matter how wealthy he’s and the way vital SpaceX is to the federal authorities, this can’t be swept below 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 can be rewarded, almost certainly with a place within the new Trump administration, the help we ship Ukraine can be lower 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.
