By Sama Marwan,
Tech mogul Elon Musk recently participated in a call between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, just one day after the U.S. presidential election.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Trump and Musk were at Mar-a-Lago when Zelensky reached out to congratulate the president-elect. The conversation was described as cordial and positive, with Musk present as Trump put the call on speakerphone. During the call, Zelensky thanked Musk for his crucial support in providing Ukraine with communications through SpaceX’s Starlink service, which has been vital for Ukraine’s military operations against Russia. The call lasted about seven minutes, but no specific policies or decisions were discussed, the sources noted.
Zelensky also publicly congratulated Trump on his “historic landslide” win, posting on social media platform X: “We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.” CNN has since reached out to both Musk and Trump’s teams for comments on the call, which was initially reported by Axios.
Trump’s Victory Comes at a Critical Time for Ukraine
Trump’s victory comes at a delicate moment for Ukraine, as Russian forces continue to make gains in the Donbas region, which President Vladimir Putin aims to capture entirely. Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump expressed skepticism about continued U.S. support for Ukraine, questioning the sustainability of long-term American involvement in the war. Some of his comments even suggested that the U.S. could push Ukraine toward a difficult truce with Russia.
Musk’s Role and Influence on Ukraine’s War Effort
Musk, a billionaire and major Republican donor with ties to Trump through his super PAC, has had a significant role in the Ukraine conflict, especially with his company’s Starlink satellite internet service.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Starlink has provided Ukraine’s military with essential communication tools, enabling real-time drone feeds and secure communication, even in areas where Russian forces had disrupted civilian networks.
This support initially endeared Musk to Ukrainians, but tensions later arose as Musk voiced concerns about the costs of maintaining Starlink service in Ukraine, particularly in Russian-occupied regions like Crimea.
Reports also surfaced about Musk’s decision to restrict Starlink access near Crimea in 2022, reportedly to prevent a Ukrainian attack on Russian naval forces, which he feared could provoke a nuclear response from Russia.
Ukrainian officials reportedly pleaded with Musk to restore the service, but he stood by his decision, citing his fear of escalating the conflict into a nuclear war.
Musk’s Ties with Russia and Potential Security Concerns
Musk’s interactions with Russian officials have raised some eyebrows, especially following reports of regular contact with President Putin since late 2022. A biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson revealed that Musk secretly ordered his engineers to cut Starlink service near Crimea during a Ukrainian naval operation.
Musk has since denied this claim on X, asserting that Starlink was never active over Crimea and that Ukraine made an emergency request for the service.
Meanwhile, some U.S. officials have raised concerns over Musk’s relationships with Russian leaders and the potential national security risks involved. Reports indicated that Musk has been in frequent communication with Russian officials, which has raised concerns about his access to sensitive government and military information, given SpaceX’s contracts with NASA and the U.S. military. Despite these concerns, Musk has yet to respond to requests for comment on these matters.
