Elon Musk Joined Trump’s Call With Zelensky

Trump Put Musk on Phone With Zelensky During Call

Elon Musk was with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago when the president-elect spoke with Ukraine’s leader. It is not clear if they discussed any change in U.S. policy toward Ukraine.

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By Maggie Haberman

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President-elect Donald J. Trump spoke on Wednesday with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and during the call handed the phone to Elon Musk, the increasingly influential billionaire who has played a key role in providing communications capability to Ukraine in its war with Russia, a person familiar with the discussion said.

It is not clear whether the three men touched on any change in U.S. policy toward Ukraine in the wake of Mr. Trump’s election. Mr. Musk was with Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, and the tone of the call was described as positive, according to the person familiar with the discussion.

A second person briefed on the call also confirmed Mr. Musk’s participation, which was reported earlier by Axios.

A third person briefed on the call described it as a “good talk,” saying that Mr. Zelensky had called Mr. Trump to congratulate him, and that when Mr. Trump handed Mr. Musk the phone, Mr. Zelensky thanked him for the communication assistance.

A Trump spokesman did not immediately provide a comment on the call.

Mr. Trump has promised to bring a quick end to the conflict, a position widely seen as allowing Russia to hold on to the territory it has seized since invading Ukraine in 2022. During a presidential debate, Mr. Trump declined to say which side he wanted to see win the war, and he has suggested that Mr. Zelensky has gotten too much military and financial aid from the Biden administration.

Mr. Musk, who has become close to Mr. Trump in recent months and who provided him with financial and logistical support in the presidential campaign, as well as with full-throated backing on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has been a vital supplier to the Ukrainian war effort through his Starlink satellite communications network.

Mr. Musk is a major U.S. government contractor, especially to the Pentagon, which relies heavily on SpaceX for launch capacity. He has already sought to have some of his employees placed in government jobs when Mr. Trump takes office, and Mr. Trump has said he wants Mr. Musk in a role recommending ways to slash government spending.

After Mr. Trump was declared the winner of the presidential race early on Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky urged Mr. Trump to help strengthen Ukraine against Russian aggression.

“For us in Ukraine, and all across Europe, it has always been crucial to hear the words of the then 45th President of the United States about ‘peace through strength,’” Mr. Zelensky wrote on social media. “When this principle becomes the policy of the 47th President, both America and the entire world will undoubtedly benefit.”

Mr. Zelensky added: “It’s no coincidence that Ronald Reagan is mentioned so often these days — people want confidence, they want freedom, they want a normal life. For us, that means a life free from Russian aggression, with a strong America, a strong Ukraine, and strong allies.”

The conversation with Mr. Zelensky was one of dozens of calls with foreign leaders the president-elect held in the last few days.

Mr. Trump also spoke with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, apparently on the same day as the call with Mr. Zelensky. Mr. Erdogan told reporters that during their conversation, Mr. Trump was having dinner with Mr. Musk.

Although it appeared to be the first time that Mr. Musk had joined a phone call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky, he has talked to the Ukrainian leader on at least two occasions during the war, according to Iuliia Mendel, a former spokeswoman for Mr. Zelensky.

Ms. Mendel, who worked for the Ukrainian presidential administration before Russia invaded nearly three years ago, said she had helped organize two calls between Mr. Musk and Mr. Zelensky in March 2022, roughly two weeks into the Russian invasion.

Ms. Mendel said an acquaintance of Mr. Musk’s had reached out to her in early March, asking her to help set up the call. For his part, she added, the Ukrainian leader was interested in Mr. Musk’s help in opening negotiations with the Kremlin. In particular, she said, Mr. Zelensky asked during one of the calls for Mr. Musk’s assistance in securing an agreement with Moscow to open a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians stranded in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

It is unknown if Mr. Musk talked to the Kremlin following his two calls with Mr. Zelensky.

Andrew E. Kramer and Constant Méheut contributed reporting.

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

• For Putin, Trump’s Win Is a New Opening: Russians close to the Kremlin voiced optimism that Donald J. Trump could help end the war in Ukraine on Russia’s terms. But Moscow also remembers Trump’s first term as a disappointment.
• Incendiary Devices on Cargo Planes: Western officials are investigating whether devices planted at shipping hubs in Europe may have been a test run by Russian operatives for placing them on planes bound for the U.S.
• U.S. Fears a Grim Phase: American military and intelligence officials have concluded that the war in Ukraine is no longer a stalemate as Russia makes steady gains, and the sense of pessimism in Kyiv and Washington is deepening.

How We Verify Our Reporting

• Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs, videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.
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