Elon Musk was treated like a “diplomat” by senior Pentagon officials and, when called about the war in Ukraine, said he had a “great conversation with Putin,” they say.
The billionaire revealed that he spoke to the Russian leader last fall during a phone call with US defenders, who treated Musk like a “diplomat” due to his influence in the ongoing war, according to the New Yorker.
The Ukrainian military relied on Starlink, an internet and communications service from Musk’s company SpaceX. But a few months after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Musk began complaining about the cost of providing the Starlink service for free.
Defense officials were “panic” about the prospect of a service shutdown, and Colin Kahl, then the Pentagon’s undersecretary for defense policy, raised the issue with Musk last October.
A senior defense official told the New Yorker that several meetings took place with US officials, and Musk revealed, “Well, I had this great conversation with Putin.”
Elon Musk told senior Pentagon officials during a call about the war in Ukraine that he had a “great conversation with Putin,” they say
Reports that Musk spoke to Putin about the war first surfaced last October, and the Tesla owner has denied the claim
The report said that Musk “said that his consultations with the Kremlin were regular.”
The report did not provide any further information about what Musk and the Russian President discussed. Reports that Musk spoke to Putin about the war first surfaced last October, and the Tesla owner has denied the claim.
The official who spoke to the New Yorker said the take on the alleged conversation in US defense circles was, “Oh dear, that’s not good.”
Kahl said, “While Musk is not technically a diplomat or statesman, given the influence he has had on this matter, I felt it was important to treat him as such.”
As Musk grew concerned about Starlink’s funding in Ukraine, he also publicly discussed possible diplomatic solutions to the war with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Musk tweeted that an agreement could be reached that would allow Russia to retain control of the Crimean Peninsula, which it occupied in 2014.
Colin Kahl, then Pentagon Undersecretary for Defense Policy, spoke to Elon Musk last October amid fears in the Pentagon that Musk might shut down Starlink service in Ukraine
As Musk grew concerned about Starlink’s funding in Ukraine, he also publicly discussed possible diplomatic solutions to the war with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelensky responded with a sarcastic Twitter poll asking, “Which Elon Musk do you like more?”, “One who supports Ukraine” or “One who supports Russia.”
Ultimately, SpaceX continued to provide Starlink services and in June the Pentagon announced it had reached an agreement to fund the service. Musk had claimed it would cost Starlink $400 million a year to continue funding the service.
Kahl added, “My conclusion was that he was getting nervous because Starlink’s involvement in Russia was increasingly seen as an opportunity for the Ukrainian war effort, and was looking for a way to allay Russian concerns.”
Musk said in October 2022 he had spoken to Putin “only once,” and that was about 18 months ago. The theme was space.’
Ukraine was reportedly forced to cancel several planned drone strikes on Russian targets after Elon Musk refused to allow access to the Starlink satellite network for offensive military maneuvers.
Kiev recently planned to remotely pilot a drone to conduct a bomb attack on a Russian naval ship at a Black Sea base in occupied Crimea.
But the 52-year-old CEO of SpaceX denied the Ukrainian military use of its Starlink network – the services of which he had offered to Kiev earlier in the war – forcing army chiefs to reject the attack, according to a New York Times report.
After the aborted attack, Ukrainian army chief Valery Zaluzhnyi reportedly sought contact with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, claiming Musk has the ability to dictate his military’s capabilities to attack key Russian targets.
Zaluzhnyi said it was “concerning” that Musk had foiled several planned attacks.
The billionaire, who lent his satellite network to support Ukraine’s wartime communications in the months following Russia’s February 2022 invasion, has claimed from the start that its technology was “for peaceful use only.”
According to a report in the New York Times, 52-year-old SpaceX boss Musk has repeatedly denied the Ukrainian military use of his Starlink network, thereby thwarting planned attacks on Russian targets
A handout photo provided by the Press Service of the President of Ukraine shows Valeriy Zaluzhnyi (centre), Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, attending an event marking the Day of Ukrainian Statehood at Mykhailivska Square in downtown Kiev. Ukraine, July 28, 2023
Musk, who donated his satellite network for free in 2022 to support Ukraine’s wartime communications, has claimed from the start that his technology is “for peaceful use only.”
Musk’s Starlink satellites have provided essential communications support to the Ukrainian military since Russia invaded
The latest controversy over Starlink’s use for offensive military maneuvers comes after SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell officially announced in February that the company would restrict Ukraine’s use of Starlink for military purposes.
Shotwell explained the service could be used for typical communications and humanitarian purposes, such as connecting families and hospitals.
The service had allowed Ukrainians to benefit from uninterrupted, independent and secure internet access while Russia’s consolidated missile attacks caused significant damage to Ukraine’s communications infrastructure.
In many cases, Starlink satellites became the only means of communication for Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
Starlink’s Terms of Service clearly states: “Starlink is not designed or intended for use with or in offensive or defensive weapons or other similar end uses.”
But the Ukrainian military had used the technology to pilot drones that carried anti-tank grenades and destroyed Russian tanks and army trucks.
In recent months, Kiev has pioneered the use of naval “kamikaze” drones — unmanned vessels loaded with explosives that steer toward Russian warships and explode on impact.
In addition, naval drones have been used to destroy or damage Moscow-controlled infrastructure, notably a section of the Kerch Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea to mainland Russia.