The #ElonMusk #Putin discussions, #confirmed by several current & fmr #US, European & Russian ofcls, touch on personal topics, business & geopolitical tensions.

At one point, Putin asked the #billionaire to avoid activating his #Starlink satellite internet service over #Taiwan as a favor to #China’s leader #Xi Jinping, said two people briefed on the request.

#Russia #NationalSecurity #FarRight #WhiteSupremacy #WhiteNationalism #autocracy #authoritarianism #totalitarianism #MAGA #republicans

#Musk has emerged this year as a crucial supporter of #Trump’s #election campaign, & could find a role in a Trump admin should he win. While the #US & its allies…engagement w/ #Russia’s leader,…reinforce Trump’s expressed desire to cut a deal over major fault lines such as the #war in #Ukraine.

At the same time, the contacts also raise… #NationalSecurity concerns among some in the current admin, given Putin’s role as one of #America’s chief adversaries.

#republicans #autocracy #totalitarianism

#ElonMusk has forged deep business ties w/ #US #military & #intelligence agencies, giving him unique visibility into some of America’s most sensitive #space programs. #SpaceX, which operates the #Starlink service, won a $1.8B #classified contract in 2021 & is the primary rocket launcher for the #Pentagon & #NASA. #Musk has a #SecurityClearance that allows him access to certain classified information.

#NationalSecurity #FarRight #autocracy #authoritarianism #totalitarianism #MAGA #Russia #Putin