Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022. A recent report by The Wall Street Journal revealed that their conversations covered a wide range of topics, including geopolitical tensions. In one of these chats, Putin reportedly asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellites over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Starlink is a satellite network owned by SpaceX that provides internet access. Musk has faced allegations this year about selling Starlink terminals to Russia during the war between Russia and Ukraine, which he denied.

Musk's contact with Putin raises concerns about national security. Musk has significant business ties with the U. S. military and other agencies, giving him access to classified information. In 2023, Musk was promised $3 billion across 100 contracts with over a dozen federal agencies.

Former President Donald Trump has also been in touch with Putin. Trump has endorsed Musk and even planned to create a government efficiency role for him if he wins the presidential election. This relationship has sparked worries that it could influence federal contracts with companies like Tesla and SpaceX.

Despite Musk's denial of recent conversations with Putin, federal officials are keeping an eye on their communication. Musk mentioned in a social media post that he spoke to Putin once 18 months ago about space.

Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin's Chat: A Surprising Twist

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