Elon Musk has regularly spoken with Vladimir Putin and faced ‘implicit threats,’ report says

Elon Musk, whose SpaceX is a major government contractor, has been in “regular contact” with Russian President Vladamir Putin, raising security concerns, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Their discussions have been on topics ranging fro business, personal matters, and geopolitical tensions, the Journal reports, noting one meeting that saw Putin ask Musk to avoid activating his Starlink’s satellite internet services over Taiwan as a favor to China’s president. China is a major market for Musk’s Tesla (TSLA+1.96%), which operates a sprawling factory in Shanghai.

Previously, it had been reported that negotiations to bring Starlink’s service to Taiwan had fallen apart over a requirement for a local entity to have a majority share of an eventual joint venture. Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs on Friday said it welcomes applications from international satellite forms to provide services.

Through SpaceX, Musk has received “top-secret” government clearance. The aerospace company has received at least $15.4 billion in government contracts over the years, including a $1.8 billion classified contract in 2021, and is the main rocket launcher for the Pentagon and NASA. The company conducted 90% of U.S. launches last year. Musk’s Tesla has notched another $352,000 in federal contracts.

The Journal reports that several White House officials were unaware of the close ties between Musk and the Kremlin. A person aware of the conversations told the publication that the Biden administration hasn’t raised the alarm over possible security breaches by Musk, but noted that “they don’t love” his ties to Putin.

While speaking at a Semafor conference on Friday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said his agency’s dealings with SpaceX have been primarily with SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, adding that the company has been “phenomenally successful.” Nelson has previously spoken highly of Shotwell, a stark contrast from his reported concerns over Musk’s behavior.

“I don’t know that that story is true,” Nelson said, adding that he thinks it should be investigated. “If the story is true that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, for the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies.”

The U.S. sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine at the beginning of the war with Russia in February 2022 after seeking ways to keep the Ukrainian government connected in anticipation of the invasion. Musk gave Ukraine free access to the system, which was a valuable tool in its ability to fight back against invading forces.

But Musk later changed his tune, cutting off funding and later restricting Ukraine’s use of its service, which was used to control drones. In October 2022, Musk was hit with a barrage of criticism after he proposed that Ukraine cede some of its territory to Russia and repeated Kremlin talking points. Earlier this year, Starlink terminals were found being resold in Russia and delivered to the front lines of Ukraine by volunteers.

The Journal, citing a person familiar with Musk and Putin’s interactions, reports that Musk began having regular conversations with “high-level Russians” in late 2022. That included “implicit threats against him” and his businesses.

“It’s all untrue, absolutely false information published in the newspaper,” Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on Friday, Politico reports.

In recent months, Musk has become a public advocate for Former President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election to the White House and has often spoken favorably of Putin. The billionaire has dedicated tens of millions of dollars to efforts aiding Trump’s candidacy. If Trump wins the Nov. 5 election, Musk is expected to lead a government commission dedicated to making federal agencies more efficient.