Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of major government contractor SpaceX and a key ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the last two years, The Wall Street Journal reported.
A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirmed to The Associated Press that Musk and Putin have had contact through calls. The person didn't provide additional details about the frequency of the calls, when they occurred or their content.
Musk, the world's richest man who also owns Tesla and the social platform X, has emerged as a leading voice on the American right. He's poured millions of dollars into Trump's presidential bid and turned the platform once known as Twitter into a site popular with Trump supporters, as well as conspiracy theorists, extremists and Russian propagandists.
Musk's contacts with Putin raise national security questions, given his companies' work for the government, and highlight concerns about Russian influence in American politics.
Musk and Putin have spoken repeatedly about personal matters, business and geopolitics, The Journal reported Thursday, citing multiple current and former officials in the U.S., Europe and Russia.
During one talk, Putin asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellite system over Taiwan as a favor for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose ties to Putin have grown closer, the Journal reported. Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times since 2013.
Russia has denied the conversations took place. In 2022, Musk said he'd only spoken to Putin once, in a call 18 months earlier focused on space.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said Friday that it was 鈥渘ot aware of the specifics鈥 of any requests made by Putin on China鈥檚 behalf.
There was no immediate response to messages left with X and Tesla seeking Musk's comment.
Musk鈥檚 relationship with Putin raises national security questions given the billions of dollars in government contracts awarded to SpaceX, a critical partner to NASA and government satellite programs.
Trump also has vowed to give Musk a role in his administration if he wins next month.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said it鈥檚 unusual for business leaders to be in contact with Putin without informing U.S. authorities. While CEOs may often interact with foreign leaders, Putin stands apart, given his invasion of Ukraine, McFaul said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a war criminal who is slaughtering civilians. That makes this wrong in my view,鈥 McFaul said of Musk鈥檚 talks with Putin. 鈥淵ou have to decide what team you are on. Are you on the American team or are you on the Russian team?鈥
The request from Putin on Starlink as a favor to China is likely to get attention, given U.S. support for Taiwan and concerns about the growing partnership between the Kremlin and Beijing.
Musk, whose Tesla operates Gigafactory Shanghai, has developed a close relationship with China鈥檚 leaders. His remarks about China have been friendly, and he has suggested Taiwan cede some control to Beijing by becoming a special administrative region.
Moscow has growing ties to other American adversaries. The U.S. has accused Russia of sending ballistic missiles to Iran and said North Korea sent troops to Russia, possibly for combat in Ukraine.
On Ukraine, Musk's views have shifted since he initially supported Kyiv following Russia's 2022 invasion and provided it with his Starlink system for communications.
Musk then refused to allow Ukraine in 2023 to use Starlink for a surprise attack on Russian soldiers in Crimea.
He also floated a peace proposal that would have required Ukraine to drop plans for NATO membership and given Russia permanent control of Crimea, which it seized in 2014. The plan infuriated Ukrainian leaders.
The timing of the calls reported by The Journal and Musk鈥檚 changing views on Ukraine was a 鈥渄isturbing coincidence,鈥 said Bradley Bowman, a former West Point assistant professor who is now senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank.
鈥淭he policy of the U.S. government is to try to isolate Vladimir Putin, and Elon Musk is directly undercutting that,鈥 Bowman said. 鈥淲hat is Putin doing with Musk? Putin is trying to reduce his international isolation and impact American foreign policy.鈥
One person familiar with the talks between Musk and Putin told The Journal that there is no evidence Musk's contact with Putin represents a security problem for the U.S.
Asked about Musk鈥檚 contacts with Putin, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday that he had no information to share.
The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment. The State Department didn't respond to an email seeking comment.
Musk recently appeared at a Trump rally, sporting a Make America Great Again hat and delivered a ominous warning that if Trump lost the race 鈥渢his will be the last election.鈥
Last year, Musk mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy鈥檚 request for aid and said in February that Ukraine couldn鈥檛 win the war.
Trump, who has praised Putin鈥檚 leadership and criticized the NATO alliance and U.S. aid for Ukraine, has raised questions about what he would be willing to concede in a negotiation over Ukraine's future if he's elected.
U.S. intelligence officials and private sector analysts have concluded that Russia is working to covertly support Trump with disinformation and propaganda targeting his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Since Musk took over X, it has become a leading online source of Russian propaganda and disinformation aimed at Americans.
Trump has faced scrutiny over his own recent contacts with Putin, outlined in a new book by Watergate journalist Bob Woodward.
Woodward quoted an unnamed Trump aide who said the former president and Putin may have had as many as seven conversations since Trump lost reelection in 2020. Before one of the calls, the aide said they were asked to leave Trump鈥檚 office to give the two privacy.
The Trump campaign and the Kremlin have denied those calls occurred.
In response to questions about Musk and Putin, Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Musk 鈥渁 once-in-a-generation industry leader鈥 whose ideas could benefit 鈥渙ur broken federal bureaucracy.鈥
鈥淎s for Putin, there鈥檚 only one candidate in the race that he did not invade another country under, and it鈥檚 President Trump,鈥 Leavitt said in a statement. 鈥淧resident Trump has long said that he will re-establish his peace through strength foreign policy to deter Russia鈥檚 aggression and end the war in Ukraine.鈥
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday rejected The Journal鈥檚 report as 鈥渁bsolutely false information.鈥
Peskov said Putin and Musk once held a 鈥渕edium-length phone conversation鈥 prior to 2022 that was 鈥渕ore of an introductory nature鈥 and focused on 鈥渧isionary technologies."
鈥淎fter that, Musk had no contacts with Putin,鈥 Peskov said, dismissing The Journal鈥檚 article as political.
鈥淭he election has entered its home stretch, and of course the opponents stop at nothing,鈥 Peskov said. 鈥淩emember that a week ago they were saying that Putin allegedly talks to Trump all day long. Now he allegedly talks to Musk all the time. It鈥檚 all untrue.鈥
Ukraine鈥檚 military intelligence told the AP that they would 鈥渞efrain from commenting鈥 about communication between Putin and Musk.
Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington, Daria Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed.
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is starting to talk to other opposition parties about bringing down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government.
An American presidential historian is maintaining his previous prediction of a Kamala Harris presidency as the U.S. election hits the one-week mark.
The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser says she shared the explosive allegations about Indian officials taking part in criminal activity in Canada with her counterpart in New Delhi before the RCMP went public with the news this month.
Henrickson was a 17-year-old girl from Squamish who went missing after a house party on Bowen Island, during the then unusually warm summer of 2009.
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has dismantled one of the 鈥榤ost elaborate encampments鈥 officers have ever seen.
Canada Post workers overwhelmingly supported a strike mandate Monday, with workers potentially walking off the job on Nov. 3 if no deal is reached.
CNN says a right-wing commentator will not be welcomed back on air after he made a racist remark on 鈥淐NN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.鈥
A recent case of measles detected in the Maritimes has a B.C. connection, provincial health officials say.
Henrickson was a 17-year-old girl from Squamish who went missing after a house party on Bowen Island, during the then unusually warm summer of 2009.
Four teenagers, including a 12-year-old girl, are facing charges after police say they set an Oshawa, Ont. home on fire while the residents were inside.
Federal investigators have arrested six people and seized tens of thousands of illicit cannabis edibles disguised as popular brand-name candies after raiding a pair of unlicensed dispensaries in British Columbia.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged two suspects in connection with what they鈥檙e calling an 'extensive' fraud investigation linked to a COVID-19 vaccine database.
Canada Post workers overwhelmingly supported a strike mandate Monday, with workers potentially walking off the job on Nov. 3 if no deal is reached.
Opposition parties in Quebec City are calling for an emergency debate after more allegations of inappropriate sexual relations between staff in youth protection (DPJ) and minors.
Donald Trump on Tuesday called his rally at New York's Madison Square Garden, an event marked by crude and racist insults by several speakers, a 'lovefest.'
With U.S. election day now a week away, Washington political analyst Eric Ham highlights five pertinent issues to watch for as the curtain comes down on this dramatic and spellbinding drama.
A huge explosion of fireworks injured more than 150 people at a religious festival in a temple in southern India, a report said Tuesday.
A mother collecting a child crashed a car through a Melbourne school fence on Tuesday, fatally injuring one child and leaving four others seriously hurt, police said.
Pope Francis' child protection board called Tuesday for victims of clergy sexual abuse to have greater access to information about their cases and the right to compensation, in the first-ever global assessment of the Catholic Church's efforts to address the crisis.
CNN says a right-wing commentator will not be welcomed back on air after he made a racist remark on 鈥淐NN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.鈥
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is starting to talk to other opposition parties about bringing down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre thinks it would be 'not fair' for the Liberals to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now, as in his view they are 'morally obligated' to keep him.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser says she shared the explosive allegations about Indian officials taking part in criminal activity in Canada with her counterpart in New Delhi before the RCMP went public with the news this month.
A 15-year-old high school freshman is hospitalized with severe complications of food poisoning after eating McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounder hamburgers three times in the weeks before a deadly E. coli outbreak was detected.
A recent case of measles detected in the Maritimes has a B.C. connection, provincial health officials say.
A recall has been issued for gummy candies due to pieces of wood, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
A recently discovered comet that some stargazers had hoped to see during Halloween week has disintegrated before the day of ghosts and ghouls.
A vital glacier in western Antarctica appears to be smoking in a rare view captured by a NASA satellite earlier this month.
A first-of-its kind facility for Atlantic Canada dedicated to marine animal autopsies and sampling is opening in Seaforth, N.S.
Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favourites as 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Tootsie,' has died. She was 79.
A curator at a museum in New York City has discovered a previously unknown waltz written by Frederic Chopin, the first time that a new piece of work by the Polish composer has been found in nearly 100 years.
Shawn Mendes took some time during his concert in Colorado on Monday to address a personal topic.
Statistics Canada's latest financial security survey shows a stark disparity between the wealth of homeowners and renters, even as it fails to capture the true scale what's owned by Canada's richest families.
ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming tops the list of China's richest people, according to the Hurun Research Institute, although many of them have seen their net worth plunge over the past year.
Donald Trump's Truth Social is now worth more than Elon Musk's X, thanks to a recent run-up in the shares of the parent company of the former president's social media platform.
With Halloween around the corner, you might be surprised to learn that Canada is home to some very scary places, with towns having names that mention coffins, death and blood.
A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.
Louisiana students Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson wowed their teachers in 2022 when they discovered a new way to prove the 2000-year-old Pythagorean theorem in response to a bonus question in a high school math contest. But that was only the beginning.
The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers will play Game 4 of the World Series.
A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan's Auston Matthews Halloween costume is going viral and, if he plays his cards right, he could meet the newly-minted captain face-to-face.
Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Florida鈥檚 basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens 鈥 sometimes hundreds 鈥 of pictures a day.
Volkswagen has informed employee representatives that it wants to close at least three plants in Germany, the head of the company's works council said Monday.
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Based on initial appearances, there are signs indicating the automobile industry is in healthy shape 鈥 for now.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A recent case of measles detected in the Maritimes has a B.C. connection, provincial health officials say.
Mounties in Surrey say a driver that hit a pedestrian Monday night is believed to have been impaired by alcohol.
Rescuers with the Vancouver Aquarium freed a sea lion last week from what they say was one of the worst entanglements they鈥檝e ever encountered.
The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged two suspects in connection with what they鈥檙e calling an 'extensive' fraud investigation linked to a COVID-19 vaccine database.
A pest control company ranked the 'rattiest' cities and boroughs across Canada, and Toronto continues to reign supreme.
A new report says when the province deregulated electricity generation in 2001, it forced Albertans to pay billions more for their power.
Premier Danielle Smith says she is taking steps to keep Albertans warm this winter while keeping their utility bills low.
Many Canadian restaurants owners say the government needs to come up with specific rules for tipping that are 'clear and transparent' for employees and customers alike, a new survey suggests.
Police say the homicide unit is investigating after a man was stabbed and later died Monday night. A 58-year-old woman has been arrested.
Advocates are calling on the province for more transparency and oversight as the investigation continues into an eastern Ontario cat rescue accused of abuse, neglect and falsifying medical records.
A community vigil will be held Tuesday night in honour of a mother of four murdered at a park broad daylight in front of her children.
Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Florida鈥檚 basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens 鈥 sometimes hundreds 鈥 of pictures a day.
Quebec wants to cut its share of international students to ease housing pressure and protect the French language, but a recent uptick in study permits has mostly gone to people from francophone countries where the province has explicitly sought to attract more students.
The Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec鈥檚 Sylvie D鈥橝mours said she shut her office down Tuesday after its windows were shot at.
Premier Danielle Smith says she is taking steps to keep Albertans warm this winter while keeping their utility bills low.
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has dismantled one of the 鈥榤ost elaborate encampments鈥 officers have ever seen.
Kyle Edward Ball, the writer and director of horror flick Skinamarink, will make his next movie with A24, the company behind Everything Everywhere All At Once and Hereditary.
The leaders of Nova Scotia鈥檚 three main political parties were on the campaign trail Tuesday after Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston called a snap election over the weekend.
A 43-year-old Nova Scotia man is facing child pornography charges after border agents seized a child sex doll from Japan earlier this month.
An autumn chill is in the air as we approach the end of October in the Maritimes but the region will catch a brief bump up in temperature just in time for Halloween.
For the second time in as many days, a woman was carjacked in Winnipeg.
An inmate who escaped from a Manitoba jail Monday night is back in custody after a brief manhunt.
Canada Post workers overwhelmingly supported a strike mandate Monday, with workers potentially walking off the job on Nov. 3 if no deal is reached.
The Saskatchewan Party has maintained its hold onto power, battling its way to a fifth consecutive majority government.
RCMP are looking for two people after a robbery in Whitewood, Sask. that saw a man run over with his own vehicle that had been stolen.
The Saskatchewan Party secured its fifth straight majority government Monday, with only two constituencies too close for 麻豆影视 to call as night turned to morning.
The Guelph Police Service Drug Enforcement Unit began investigations earlier this month following complaints about drug trafficking and illegal drug use downtown.
The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) announced, and then abruptly reversed, a plan to remove garbage bins from classrooms.
A Guelph, Ont. man is celebrating a major milestone while playing the game he loves.
The Saskatchewan Party has maintained its hold onto power, battling its way to a fifth consecutive majority government.
Six students were seriously injured and one student was airlifted to hospital in Saskatoon following a school bus crash near Tisdale, Sask. on Monday afternoon.
The Saskatchewan Party secured its fifth straight majority government Monday, with only two constituencies too close for 麻豆影视 to call as night turned to morning.
Three suspects arrested in West Nipissing earlier this year were part of a group of five who robbed banks across the province, Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday.
The Ontario government will give each taxpayer a $200 rebate. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday and said the rebate will also extend to families with children, with an additional $200 per eligible child.
A Midland senior has resorted to living in her shed out of desperation
The results were tighter than almost everyone thought they鈥檇 be in a vote on if South Bruce would be a willing host to the Canada鈥檚 first permanent nuclear waste storage.
The London Police Service is looking for a suspect in connection to a hate-motivated assault investigation.
On Oct. 22 around 1:20 a.m. police responded to a home in the area of Talbot Street and Horton Street where the homeowner said they received a notification from the doorbell camera.
The headliners for the region鈥檚 biggest outdoor country music festival are locked in, and once again, the multi-day event has garnered big names.
Five people face a total of 53 charges for their alleged involvement in eight bank robberies across Ontario where more than $2 million was stolen.
Provincial police want residents to keep their doors and windows locked after reports of a man trying to gain entry to homes in the Township of Georgian Bluffs.
A Devonshire Mall spokesperson has confirmed that staff are aware of social media posts showing cockroaches crawling near guests' food at the mall.
Windsor Police are renewing their call for help from the public to solve a city homicide.
The Windsor police is searching for an outstanding suspect in connection to a $64,000 bank fraud investigation. One person has been arrested and charged.
Federal investigators have arrested six people and seized tens of thousands of illicit cannabis edibles disguised as popular brand-name candies after raiding a pair of unlicensed dispensaries in British Columbia.
Rescuers with the Vancouver Aquarium freed a sea lion last week from what they say was one of the worst entanglements they鈥檝e ever encountered.
The final count has been completed in B.C.'s nail-biting 2024 election, with incumbent Premier David Eby managing to clinch another victory for the NDP.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Food Banks Canada's annual Hunger Count report shows more Canadians than ever are resorting to food banks.
RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.
A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.
Just two days ahead of Halloween, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has awarded several local homes and one business for having the best decorations for the season.
The Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority is issuing a flood outlook statement to residents regarding current watershed conditions.
An early morning complaint of a man slumped over the steering wheel of a minivan with its engine running in Elliot Lake last week led to impaired driving charges and drug seizures.
Teams are facing off in a new eastern Newfoundland hockey league aiming to bring competitive play 鈥 and a few extra years on the ice 鈥 for young women in the province.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
