WASHINGTON — Tech mogul Elon Musk briefly joined President-elect Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Musk, who campaigned for Trump in the final weeks of the 2024 race, was not scheduled to participate in the call but entered the room and greeted Zelensky, according to the source. That person said he was not part of a substantive conversation between the two leaders.
Neither Zelensky nor Trump previously revealed Musk’s presence on the call. Axios Reported for the first time His participation, which was confirmed by other media.
Trump transition team officials declined requests for comment on Friday. Neither Musk nor the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C., immediately responded to requests for comment.
On Wednesday, Zelensky described his call with Trump as “excellent.”
“We agreed to maintain a close dialogue and strengthen our cooperation.” Zelensky continued In a post on X. “Strong and steady American leadership is vital to the world and a just peace.”
Trump did previously He claimed He could “resolve” the war in one day, stressing that if he became president-elect, “I will do this even before I become president.” He did not make a plan to do so.
During the one-on-one debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine, a US ally, to win the war.
“I think it’s in the United States’ interest to end this war and get it done, all right,” he said. “Negotiate a deal.”
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also suggested that Ukraine would be willing to give up some of its territory to end the war.
Musk also held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a source familiar with the matter. The talks were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Near the beginning of the war, after the Russian invasion, Musk helped provide internet support to Ukraine. Starlink emergency receivers played a key role in helping Ukrainians communicate. Starlink Systems is a service part of Musk’s company SpaceX.
But he also angered Ukrainians by suggesting that the country give up some of its territory to Russia. In October 2022, he suggested that Ukraine cede Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace deal, drawing a rebuke from Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials.
Rebecca Chabad, Anastasia Parafenyuk, Jake Traylor, David Ingram and Andrea Mitchell Contribute.
