Moscow, October 28, 2024 – The Europe Today: Reports claiming that Elon Musk secretly communicated with Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials have been dismissed as untrue, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The allegations, published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Thursday, suggest that Musk has had undisclosed discussions with Putin, including on the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Peskov refuted the claims on Friday, attributing them to political maneuvering related to the U.S. presidential election.
Peskov clarified that Musk and Putin have only spoken once, in a phone call that took place before the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Peskov reiterated this timeline, asserting that recent rumors of secret contacts were “most likely disinformation” linked to the “extremely confrontational” electoral climate in the U.S. as the presidential race enters its final stages. “The race is in its final phase, and the opponents do not shy away from anything,” he remarked.
The WSJ article primarily focused on Musk’s role as a private contractor for the U.S. military and his support for former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. It also touched on Musk’s public statements about resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, suggesting these remarks may align with the Kremlin’s views. The article cited anonymous sources, including “current and former US, European and Russian officials,” who claimed these alleged calls were “a closely held secret.”
The report further claimed that Putin requested Musk not activate the Starlink satellite system in Taiwan as a favor to Beijing, citing a “former intelligence officer briefed on the situation.” SpaceX, Musk’s company, does not currently hold a license to provide internet services in Taiwan.
In addition, the WSJ suggested that Musk had contacts with Sergey Kirienko, former Russian Prime Minister and now deputy head of the presidential administration, though Musk declined to comment on the allegations. White House officials reportedly stated they were unaware of such contacts.
As the U.S. election approaches, the Kremlin spokesperson underscored that the claims could be politically motivated and reaffirmed that there had been no secret communications between Musk and the Russian president since their single call in early 2022.
