Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin since 2022, discussing a range of topics including personal matters, business, and geopolitics.

- Putin asked Musk not to activate Starlink over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

- Musk initially supported Ukraine’s military with Starlink but later restricted its use for offensive operations, aligning with Russia’s interests.

- Russian officials have pressured Musk on several fronts, including potential threats to his businesses, while Kremlin disinformation campaigns use Musk’s social platform X to influence U.S. politics.

- Musk’s deep connections to U.S. military projects, including SpaceX’s $1.8 billion classified contracts, raise national security alarms over his close ties to Putin.

- Musk is now a key backer of Trump’s 2024 campaign and could hold a major role in a future Trump administration.