Elon Musk speaks as part of a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.

AP Picture/Matt Rourke

Billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk has had “common contact” with Russian President Vladimir Putin seeing that 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night time.

In line with the newspaper, Musk has ceaselessly communicated with Putin, who asked him to not spark off his Starlink web in Taiwan as a “prefer” to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Journal said:

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a linchpin of U.S. area efforts, has been in common contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022. The discussions, established by means of several present and former U.S., European and Russian officials, contact on private topics, industry and geopolitical tensions.

At one level, Putin asked the billionaire to keep away from activating his Starlink satellite tv for pc internet service over Taiwan as a opt to Chinese chief Xi Jinping, said two folks briefed on the request. Starlink has never secured permission to supply web provider in Taiwan, whose govt places restrictions on non-Taiwanese satellite operators. Taiwan is presently listed as “coming soon” on a Starlink map of the place it provides provider.

The exact nature of Musk’s relationship with Putin is still doubtful. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has spent years securing contracts with the U.S. Safeguard Division and his corporations are highly backed.

Musk has spent a lot of the earlier 12 months supporting former President Donald Trump’s 1/3 White House bid. He has claimed on the campaign path that the 2024 election will be the last election for the Oval Workplace if Vice President Kamala Harris wins.

News of Musk’s mentioned communication line with Putin comes two weeks after Bob Woodward claimed Trump had remained in touch with Russia’s leader seeing that he left place of work in 2021.

Trump’s marketing campaign denied Woodward’s declare, which used to be made in his new guide Conflict.

The submit Musk ‘Has Been in Regular Contact’ with Putin Due to the fact that 2022, WSJ Reports first appeared on Mediaite.