Putin once asked Elon Musk to not activate Starlink over Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping


Regular ontact with Putin

The outlet cited several unnamed current and former government officials in the US, Europe, and Russia, who said Musk had kept in regular contact with Putin since late 2022. The billionaire and world leader reportedly discussed personal matters, business, and geopolitics.

Implications for the US

The allegations present awkward implications for the US, with Musk's SpaceX holding defense and space contracts with the Pentagon and NASA. An analysis published by The New York Times reported that the company has $3.6 billion in contracts with the Defense Department — primarily for launching American satellites into orbit — and $11.8 billion with NASA.

Kremlin's Request

The Journal reported that in late 2023, Musk received his first request from the Kremlin to refrain from activating Starlink over Taiwan. The outlet cited a former Russian intelligence officer, who was not named. The request was reportedly made for Beijing's sake, as Moscow increasingly relied on trade from China.

Unclear Frequency of Requests

Based on The Journal's findings, it is unclear exactly how many times Putin or his administration asked Musk for the favor. The Chinese embassy in Washington told The Journal that it was not aware of the specifics of this arrangement and did not respond to a separate request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Taiwan's Starlink Access

Taiwan does not have official Starlink access because its laws require satellite services to be provided through a joint venture with a local operator that maintains majority ownership. The New York Times reported that SpaceX was unwilling to accept such an arrangement, and the self-governed island is thus creating its own low-earth orbit satellite network.

Shift in Rhetoric Toward Ukraine

Musk's reported conversations with Putin coincide with his apparent shift in rhetoric toward Ukraine in late 2022. Until that point, the billionaire had vocally supported Kyiv, providing it with 15,000 Starlink terminals.

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