Victor Tangermann
Fri, October 25, 2024
Concerning
NASA administrator Bill Nelson isn't happy with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk after the Wall Street Journal reported that he has been in "regular contact" with Russian president Vladimir Putin for several years — even reportedly taking orders from the despot to prevent the activation of Starlink satellites over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Nelson told Semafor during Friday's Semafor World Economy Summit that he thinks the story "should be investigated."
"If its true there have been multiple conversations with Elon Musk and the president of Russia then that would be concerning particularly for NASA and the Department of Defense," he added.
It's a notable rebuke given SpaceX's close ties to both the space agency and the Pentagon. The space company has launched plenty of national security satellites, while NASA has become reliant on its Crew Dragon spacecraft to reach the International Space Station.
Having the space company's chief executive take orders or reveal potentially incriminating secrets to the head of the United States' biggest adversary could have troubling implications — something that Nelson seems painfully aware of.
National Liability
Musk's increasingly polarizing and problematic behavior has put the space agency in a difficult position.
For his part, Nelson has maintained that Musk's antics haven't been able to rock the boat too much, since in his estimation SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell is the one truly in charge.
"The good news about that is that Elon has a president that he lets run the company," he told Axios last month.
But now that he has reportedly been talking with Putin, Nelson has taken a different tune.
Musk has yet to respond to the claims. A Kremlin spokesperson told the newspaper that Musk and Putin had only met once to discuss "space as well as current and future technologies."
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Musk at first seemed opposed to Putin's land grab, aiding the Ukrainian side by sending thousands of Starlink broadband satellite terminals.
But then, as the WSJ reports, his tone changed considerably in late 2022, going as far as to suggest that Ukraine should give up parts of its territory to Russia to prevent a nuclear war.
Several years later, Musk has thrown his full weight behind the reelection of former president Donald Trump. The former reality TV host's close relationship with Putin is well-established. Musk's social media network X-formerly-Twitter also hosted a two-hour chat between conservative pundit Tucker Carlson and Putin.
In short, Musk's ties with the US' largest adversaries have clearly rattled NASA's leadership.
More on Musk and NASA: NASA Is Mega Hyped About SpaceX's Imminent Starship Test Flight
NASA chief calls for investigation into report about Musk-Putin talks
Filip Timotija
Fri, October 25, 2024
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called for The Wall Street Journal’s recent report on “secret” conversations between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Russian President Vladimir Putin to be investigated.
Nelson first emphasized that NASA is “non-partisan political” and praised SpaceX for its recent work in developing spacecraft, before saying that the Journal’s Thursday report should be looked into.
“I don’t know that that story is true,” Nelson said at a conference hosted by news outlet Semafor. “I think it should be investigated.”
“If the story’s true, that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies,” he continued.
Nelson’s response comes after the Journal published a report stating Musk and Putin have been in touch since late 2022, having discussions that were confirmed to the outlet by “several current and former U.S., European and Russian officials.” The sources told the Journal the conversations were on “personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions.”
The Journal reported that Russia’s president at one point asked Musk not to activate Starlink internet service over Taiwan for the sake of giving a favor to China’s President Xi Jinping, citing sources briefed on the request.
The outlet said Musk did not respond to a request for comment.
NASA and SpaceX are commercial partners, and NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 returned to Earth Friday after seven months at the International Space Station.
Earlier this year, Putin praised Musk as a “smart guy.”
“I think there’s no stopping Elon Musk. He will do as he sees fit. Nevertheless, you’ll need to find some common ground with him. Search for ways to persuade him. I think he’s a smart person. I truly believe he is. So you’ll need to reach an agreement with him because this process needs to be formalized and subjected to certain rules.”
The Hill has reached out to SpaceX for comment.
Updated at 9:04 a.m. EDT
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Putin asked Musk to switch off internet over Taiwan
Gregor Stuart Hunter
Fri, October 25, 2024
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, this week - Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
Vladimir Putin asked Elon Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, security officials in the US and Europe believe.
A Wall Street Journal report said the richest man in the world has been in regular contact with the Russian leader since late 2022, citing several unnamed current and former officials in the US, Europe and Russia.
The report does not say whether Mr Musk took any action in response to Putin’s request.
However, the Kremlin on Friday denied the report. “It’s all untrue, absolutely false information published in the newspaper,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Starlink has emerged as a lifeline for Ukraine’s military as it attempts to maintain internet connectivity on the front lines in its conflict with Russia.
At the start of the conflict, the company delivered 5,000 terminals to Kyiv with the help of the US Agency for International Development.
Mr Musk, who has regularly criticised the Wall Street Journal on X, the social media network he owns, has not yet commented on the reports.
Neither Starlink nor SpaceX have responded to the claims.
Elon Musk is said to have been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin - Richard Bord/WireImage
Mr Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, which launches the Starlink satellites, has extensive contracts with the US department of defence, and he has a security clearance that gives him access to classified information. Nasa relies on his Falcon rockets to carry astronauts to the International Space Station.
Starlink is not available in Taiwan, with a map of global availability on the company’s website stating: “Service date is unknown at this time.”
China views democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take control of the island, and has never renounced the use of force to do so.
Taiwan, which restricts foreign satellite operators, has been seeking to establish its own low-Earth orbit satellite network since the end of 2022.
Some politicians have cited Mr Musk’s conflicts of interest with China, where his electric carmaker Tesla has manufacturing facilities, as justification for building its own alternative.
This effort gained renewed urgency after shipping vessels damaged two sub-sea internet cables connecting some of Taiwan’s outlying islands near the Chinese mainland last year, almost completely cutting them off from contact with the outside world.
Some analysts viewed the outage as Beijing carrying out a dress rehearsal of its invasion tactics.
Starlink is not available in Taiwan, but is a lifeline for Ukraine’s military - Starlink/Adobe Stock
On Thursday, Taiwan’s ministry of digital affairs launched the island’s first domestically produced high-altitude balloons to serve as backup communication channels in the event of emergencies.
In February, members of US Congress said Starlink’s approach to Taiwan could threaten its government contracts.
Mike Gallagher, a Republican representative for Wisconsin, said that by not making its service available in Taiwan, SpaceX could be in breach of its contract to make the service accessible to the US government worldwide, according to a letter reviewed by The New York Times.
SpaceX “is in full compliance with all of its US government contracts”, the company said at the time.
“SpaceX notified the select committee last week that it is misinformed, but the committee chose to contact media before seeking additional information.”
Mr Musk, the world’s richest man with an estimated fortune of $270 billion (£208 billion), according to Bloomberg, has recently thrown his support behind Donald Trump, joining him on the Republican presidential campaign trail and giving away millions of dollars to sway voters in swing states.
His increased presence has led to speculation Mr Musk may be seeking greater influence in a new administration in 2025.
Trump has also made regular phone calls to Putin since leaving office, according to a recent book by veteran political journalist Bob Woodward.
Tesla CEO's Conversations with Putin Raise National Security Questions, WSJ Reports
Faizan Farooque
Fri, October 25, 2024
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla (TSLA, Financials), has engaged in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022, The Wall Street Journal said, citing anonymous sources.
Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with BA.
Citing many current and former officials from the United States, Europe, and Russia, the Wall Street Journal said that Musk's talks with Putin included both personal and commercial affairs. Reportedly as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin asked Musk not to turn on Starlink, their satellite internet service, above Taiwan at one time.
Because Musk works extensively with U.S. government entities like NASA via SpaceX, these contacts have generated possible national security concerns, the Journal said. According the article, Musk also has a security clearance allowing him access to secret material.
Declining to discuss Musk's security clearance, a Pentagon spokesman said, "We do not comment on any individual's security clearance, review or status, or about personnel security policy matters in the context of reports about any individual's actions."
In October 2022, Musk said on X, the site he ownsformerly known as Twitterthat he had just once discussed space with Putin in April 2021.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Musk and Putin simply discussed in a phone conversation about future technologies and space.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Rhian Lubin
Fri, October 25, 2024
Scroll back up to restore default view.
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Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin since 2022, according to a report – raising fresh security concerns in both the US and Europe.
Musk, whose America PAC is helping to bankroll Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, has spoken to the Russian president on the phone about business and geopolitical matters, officials with knowledge of the alleged conversations told The Wall Street Journal.
On one of the alleged calls, Putin reportedly asked Musk for “a favor” on behalf of Chinese leader Xi Jinping not to activate Starlink satellite services over Taiwan, according to the Journal.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed one telephone call took place between Musk and Putin where they discussed “space as well as current and future technologies,” the outlet reported, but denied there had been regular conversations.
The Independent has contacted Musk for comment. Musk did not respond to requests for comment from the Journal.
The alleged contact raises potential national security concerns due to Putin’s frosty relations with the US and his ongoing war in Ukraine as the presidential election looms.
The Journal reported that the Biden administration has not raised concerns about any “possible security breaches” by Musk.
Elon Musk campaigning in Pennsylvania for Trump last week (REUTERS)
An unnamed source aware of the alleged conversations between Musk and Putin told the paper that the US government is facing something of a “dilemma” because it is “so dependent” on SpaceX’s technology.
Musk has forged strong ties within the US intelligence and military services through his companies. The Tesla CEO’s SpaceX company holds multi-billion-dollar contracts with NASA and the Pentagon, The New York Times reported this week.
The company launches national security satellites into orbit and NASA contracts it to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.
“They don’t love it,” the source told the Journal, referring to Musk’s alleged contact with Putin.
Just last week, the billionaire referred to his security clearance level while rallying for Trump in Pennsylvania.
“I do have a top-secret clearance,” he said. “But, I’d have to say, like most of the stuff that I’m aware of… the reason they keep it top secret is because it’s so boring.”
A Pentagon spokesperson told the Journal it does not comment on an individual’s security clearance.
Musk has previously refuted criticism he is “pro-Russia.” On October 4, he posted on X about his company’s support for Ukraine. “SpaceX’s out of pocket cost to enable & support Starlink in Ukraine is ~$80M so far,” he said. “Our support for Russia is $0. Obviously, we are pro Ukraine.”
Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 24. Musk is said to have spoken with Putin many times (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Musk endorsed Trump for president earlier this year and since then, his support for the Republican has been unwavering. He is now Trump’s second biggest financial backer, according to Forbes, donating almost $120 million through his PAC.
Appearing on stage with Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, Musk claimed the former president was the only candidate “to preserve democracy in America.”
Trump, meanwhile, has previously claimed Putin “would never have gone into Ukraine” if he were president and has touted his “very good relationship” with him several times.
Putin denied having any contact with Trump at a conference yesterday following reports from Bob Woodward’s book that the pair have spoken “several times” since the Republican left the White House in 2021.
The Trump campaign told the newspaper that Musk is a “once-in-a-generation industry leader and our broken federal bureaucracy could certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency.”
“As for Putin, there’s only one candidate in the race that he did not invade another country under, and it’s President Trump,” the spokesperson said.
“President Trump has long said that he will re-establish his peace through strength foreign policy to deter Russia’s aggression and end the war in Ukraine.”
Opinion
Elon Musk Stays Silent After Bombshell Report on Secret Putin Contact
Hafiz Rashid
THE NEW REPUBLIC
Fri, October 25, 2024
Elon Musk has stayed unusually silent after The Wall Street Journal revealed Thursday night that the tech CEO has been speaking regularly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The newspaper reported that Musk has corresponded with Putin since 2022, discussing personal topics, business, and geopolitical tensions. Putin even made a request of Musk in one conversation: to refrain from setting up his satellite internet service, Starlink, over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Musk has been tweeting around the clock since the story broke at 9 p.m. EST Thursday, but has not mentioned the Journal article once, mostly sticking to right-wing conspiracies and promotion of Donald Trump. According to the Journal, Musk not only had conversations with Putin, but with other high-ranking Kremlin officials as well. He even faced “implicit threats against him,” one source said.
The report is especially concerning given that the tech mogul has come out as a strong supporter of the former president, spending millions to help Trump return to the White House. The Journal report notes that Putin and Musk have continued contact this year as Musk has ramped up his efforts to reelect Trump.
In addition to his political activism, Musk has billions of dollars in government contracts attached to his companies. SpaceX, which operates Starlink, has a $1.8 billion classified contract and launches rockets for the Pentagon and NASA. He also has a security clearance giving him access to classified information.
With all of these government connections, the fact that Musk is consistently talking to one of the United States’ foremost adversaries in Putin presents a danger to national security. His control of Starlink gives him immense power over international communications, too. And Musk’s ownership of X also potentially puts the personal information of anyone who uses the social media service at risk. An anonymous source told the Journal that the Biden administration is aware of Musk and Putin’s relationship, but hasn’t raised any concerns over security breaches.
However, “they don’t love it,” the source told the Journal.
Fri, October 25, 2024
Elon Musk has stayed unusually silent after The Wall Street Journal revealed Thursday night that the tech CEO has been speaking regularly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The newspaper reported that Musk has corresponded with Putin since 2022, discussing personal topics, business, and geopolitical tensions. Putin even made a request of Musk in one conversation: to refrain from setting up his satellite internet service, Starlink, over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Musk has been tweeting around the clock since the story broke at 9 p.m. EST Thursday, but has not mentioned the Journal article once, mostly sticking to right-wing conspiracies and promotion of Donald Trump. According to the Journal, Musk not only had conversations with Putin, but with other high-ranking Kremlin officials as well. He even faced “implicit threats against him,” one source said.
The report is especially concerning given that the tech mogul has come out as a strong supporter of the former president, spending millions to help Trump return to the White House. The Journal report notes that Putin and Musk have continued contact this year as Musk has ramped up his efforts to reelect Trump.
In addition to his political activism, Musk has billions of dollars in government contracts attached to his companies. SpaceX, which operates Starlink, has a $1.8 billion classified contract and launches rockets for the Pentagon and NASA. He also has a security clearance giving him access to classified information.
With all of these government connections, the fact that Musk is consistently talking to one of the United States’ foremost adversaries in Putin presents a danger to national security. His control of Starlink gives him immense power over international communications, too. And Musk’s ownership of X also potentially puts the personal information of anyone who uses the social media service at risk. An anonymous source told the Journal that the Biden administration is aware of Musk and Putin’s relationship, but hasn’t raised any concerns over security breaches.
However, “they don’t love it,” the source told the Journal.
