X chief, who campaigned hard for Trump, spoke to Ukraine leader after being handed phone by president-elect
Fri 8 Nov 2024 20.41 GMT
Elon Musk reportedly made a surprise guest appearance on a call between Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, solidifying the Tesla chief executive’s role as the most influential civilian in the country come January.
Musk was present with Trump during the call for roughly 25 minutes, according to Axios, which first reported the call. Trump handed Musk the phone and Musk and Zelenskyy spoke briefly. On the call, Zelenskyy thanked Musk for the satellites he had been providing Ukraine through his company, Starlink, according to AFP. Musk said he would continue to provide satellite internet connection, the report said.
Musk, who campaigned vigorously for Trump, has a mixed record on matters relating to Russia’s war on Ukraine. The billionaire initially provided Ukraine internet connection through Starlink satellites for free, with the help of funding from several other entities including the US government.
Zelenskyy’s call with Trump was, reportedly, otherwise reassuring for the Ukraine president. Trump told Zelenskyy that he would continue to support Ukraine, though he did not go into details, according to Axios. In a statement, Zelenskyy said he praised Trump and his team for their successful campaign.
“We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation,” he tweeted. “Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”
