‘Very concerned about frequent communication between Musk and Putin’

It is ‘scary’ that Elon Musk has been in frequent contact with Vladimir Putin for two years, says historian Arend Jan Boekestijn in the podcast BNR Boekestijn en De Wijk. Especially as a result of at least seven phone conversations that Donald Trump had with the president of Russia after his presidency, the conversations are very undesirable, he believes. ‘It’s too crazy for words, let’s be honest. What happens if Trump wins, kleptocracy or something?’

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday morning that billionaire Elon Musk has been in regular secret communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the end of 2022. The American newspaper bases this on various officials government in the United States, Russia and Europe. The discussions would include personal, business and geopolitical topics, says Boekestijn. “We know the views of Trump and Musk, and they talk regularly with Putin.”

Putin reportedly asked Musk not to deploy his Starlink satellite system over Taiwan, as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admits that there was a one-way communication between Musk and Putin. This would include a telephone conversation in which they discussed ‘space and current and future technology’. Musk himself has also confirmed that talk. The billionaire previously called criticism that he has been a supporter of Putin ‘absurd’.

Totally torn apart

According to Rob de Wijk of The Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS), our definition of the Western world order is one with freedom and democracy at stake. ‘The world is completely torn apart. Of course it is not possible to live in freedom and do this podcast in such autonomy. “I really believe Musk can do whatever he wants if Trump wins and appoints him as the de facto governor of the standards, and it’s being talked about right now .”

According to De Wijk, if Musk is enabled in this way by Trump ‘along with his billionaire friends’, he is ‘very strong’ remembering what is going on in Russia right now. ‘That is being discussed at the moment. Then we will no longer call Musk a billionaire, but an oligarch – that’s what’s going on. I am very concerned about this.’

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