Business tycoon Elon Musk was on the line during a recent phone call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Axios reported on Nov. 8, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Zelensky was among the first leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 6, voicing hopes for "strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States." The two also had a follow-up phone call, agreeing to strengthen cooperation, Ukraine's president said.
According to Axios's sources, the call between the two lasted about 25 minutes, and Trump said that he would support Kyiv, without going into details.
Musk, who has backed Trump's campaign, reportedly joined the conversation, saying he would continue to support Ukraine through his Starlink satellites.
Known as the founder and CEO of the space and telecom company SpaceX and the owner of the social media platform X, Musk came out in support of Kyiv at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, donating Starlink communication terminals that greatly assisted Ukrainian defenders.
His views progressively shifted toward pro-Russian positions later during the war, and the billionaire prevented Ukraine from using Starlink terminals in strikes on the Russian fleet.
The Wall Street Journal reported in late October that Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials since late 2022. Previously, Musk denied sympathizing with Moscow and claimed he talked with Putin only once in April 2021 about space-related topics.
The call with Trump "didn't leave Zelensky with a feeling of despair," one of the sources told Axios.
The Presidential Office did not comment on these reports.
On the campaign trail, Trump claimed he could end Russia's war within 24 hours if elected, though he has not elaborated on how he would achieve this. He also criticized U.S. aid for Ukraine, calling Zelensky as the "greatest salesman on earth."
There are concerns that the new U.S. president may reduce support for Kyiv and pursue a deal with the Kremlin at Ukraine's expense.
The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Kuleba