According to a Finnish researcher, Musk’s actions benefit Trump financially, but the billionaire’s ways of working can turn against the campaign.
According to information from the US newspaper Wall Street Journal, a billionaire Elon Musk has been spoken several times by the Russian president after the attack launched by Russia in 2022 Vladimir Putin with.
At the same time, Musk is flamboyantly supportive Donald Trump’s campaign for the next president of the USA. Among other things, Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine quickly. This would not necessarily work on Ukraine’s terms.
Because of his various technology projects, Musk has a key role in projects essential to US security and has access to some classified information, according to the WSJ.
Iltalehti asked a North American researcher Pekka Kolehmainencan Musk even decide the US elections and what kind of effects Musk’s relations with Putin can have in terms of the security of the US and Western countries.
– In this situation, almost anything can decide this election, because it’s going to be such tight numbers, especially in the Libra states. Musk has put a lot of money behind Trump’s campaign and supported it significantly. In the US election system, money goes a long way, says Kolehmainen.
As a possible downside, Kolehmainen mentions that grassroots influence work has been outsourced to Musk’s founded America PAC. There have been signs in the organization that it has not fulfilled all its promises in the door-to-door advocacy work.
– Now there is uncertainty as to how effective Musk’s contribution is in such matters. When a more experienced election machine is replaced by an untested machine produced by a billionaire, it can also turn in the other direction.
PhD researcher Pekka Kolehmainen works as a researcher at the John Morton Center for North American Research in California. Hanna Oksanen
The WSJ’s revelation of the conversations between Musk and Putin may affect some Republicans, but among Trump’s most ardent supporters it hardly matters, Kolehmainen estimates.
– I don’t know what Musk’s conversations with Putin have been like, whether they have been a negotiation about foreign policy or something like business discussions. But such close relations with Russia are in a way part of what Trump himself already symbolizes in many ways.
– The more traditional Republican side may perceive it as a weakness, but it is the group that has already taken a cynical view of Musk joining Trump’s campaign.
Musk has access to this information
Musk has deep business relationships with the US military and intelligence services. That way he has at least some kind of access to the most sensitive US space programs.
According to the WSJ, Musk has access to certain classified information. The Pentagon does not comment on why. However, Musk himself has spoken publicly on the subject.
– I have access to top secret content, but, I have to say, most of the things that I personally know about … the reason they are top secret is because they are so boring, he said at a Trump campaign event in Pennsylvania in October.
Musk’s SpaceX received a contract worth a total of 1.8 billion dollars with the US government in 2021, and it is the main partner of NASA and the Pentagon in launching rockets into space. SpaceX launches into space, among other things, satellites essential for national security, and NASA transports its astronauts to the International Space Station with the help of Musk’s technology.
According to WSJ’s information, during the war of aggression against Russia, Musk has talked several times with Russian President Putin and high-ranking Russian officials. EPA/AOP
According to one WSJ source, the government has a problem because the US is so dependent on technologies offered by Musk, and that talks with Putin “are not excited.”
– It’s hard to say without knowing more about the content of the discussions, but there is always a risk when such a figure, who, like Trump, very strongly sees himself perhaps a little better than ordinary people, goes to hold such discussions, says Kolehmainen.
– I can’t accurately assess the dependency relationship between the United States and Musk, but yes, the United States has its own programs and opportunities to acquire these services offered by Musk from elsewhere.
Coat flip
Musk claims that his companies are “more focused on undermining Russia than anything else.” At the beginning of the war, Musk ostentatiously supported Ukraine, but since then Musk has turned more and more in the direction of Russia. At the same time, he is getting more and more absorbed in Trump’s presidential campaign.
This year, among other things, Musk provided a platform for Putin’s lengthy explanations when Tucker Carlson interviewed him in a friendly tone in the Kremlin. In the interview, Putin praised Musk as a “smart guy”.
In October 2022, Musk asked his tens of millions of followers on X to vote on a peace plan that echoed the Kremlin’s message. Among other things, there was a demand that Russia continues to occupy Crimea and that Ukraine remains “neutral” in relation to NATO. Over the past year, Musk opened up his X platform to Russian disinformation.
The Starlink satellite system offered by Musk to Ukraine has played a key role in Ukraine’s defensive war. However, Musk has sought to limit the use of Starlink in Ukrainian operations that head to Russia. In 2022, for example, Ukraine was unable to use Starlink when shooting maritime drones at the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
Musk has offered the breakthrough Starlink technology to Ukraine, but has also limited its use. Jose Hernandez/Shutterstock, EPA/AOP
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Myhailo Fedorov tried to persuade Musk, but according to Musk, Ukraine “went too far”. At the same time, Musk was being publicly and privately pressured by the Kremlin over Starlink.
Docent of military science Ilmari Käihkön according to Starlink is the most decisive weapon for Ukraine. What made it decisive was, among other things, the fact that Russia did not have a similar weapon at its disposal.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the situation changed this year, and Russian forces also began using Starlink in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. With its help, Russia has, among other things, been able to steer its drones further than before.
Starlink stations have been exported to Russia via other countries. According to Musk, the stations have not been sold directly to Russia. According to sources familiar with the matter, it is difficult to control who uses Starlink in Ukraine.
Money for voters
Musk began actively campaigning for Trump in July. With the help of the money donated by Musk, among other things, a huge number of people have been hired to do grassroots persuasion work in favor of Trump.
Musk is currently the second largest single backer of the Trump campaign. He has promised to support the campaign through America PAC with 45 million dollars per month. In addition to financial support, Musk has supported Trump by actively campaigning on the messaging service X for him. In Butler, Pennsylvania, he even took the stage with Trump.
Musk took the stage with Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5. Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock, AOP
Trump and Musk talk to each other often. Trump has said he plans to make Musk head of the government’s “commission on efficiency.”
– One of the biggest themes of Trump’s campaign has been reaching out to the technology sector, restrictions would be removed from, for example, cryptocurrencies. When removing such restrictions, I would assume that Musk could possibly play a role if Trump is elected, says Kolehmainen.
Musk is also indirectly handing out money to Trump voters. He promises to pay $1 million every day to a registered voter living in the state of Libra who signs his petition in favor of the US Constitution. In practice, however, it’s all about attracting voters in favor of Trump with money, which an expert on election laws Rick Hasen consider illegal.
Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine quickly. EPA/AOP
According to Trump’s spokesperson, there is no need to worry about Musk’s connections with Putin and Trump at the same time.
– There is only one candidate in this race, under whom [Putin] did not invade another country, and that is (..) Trump. (…) Trump has long said that he will regain peace through a strong foreign policy, prevent Russian aggression and thus end the war in Ukraine.
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