Elon Musk joined phone call between Trump and Ukraine president Zelenskyy – Axios
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Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk joined a phone call between newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two sources with knowledge of the call.
Trump and Zelenskyy’s call took place on Wednesday, after the confirmation of the Republican candidate’s victory over U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump in the early hours of Wednesday secured the required 270 electoral votes to get the win.
“Yesterday, I spoke with President Trump. It was a good, productive conversation. We hope America will grow stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost,” Zelenskyy said on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, a day after penning a lengthy congratulatory post for Trump.
Musk’s presence on the call underscores the influence of the billionaire businessman, who has been one of Trump’s most vocal backers during the 2024 election season. This week, Musk saw his net worth cross $300B for the first time in nearly three years, as investors piled into Tesla (TSLA) stock on hopes that his support for Trump would benefit the electric vehicle giant.
In September, Trump in a speech at the Economic Club of New York said he would appoint Musk to head a government efficiency commission if he won the election.
Wednesday’s phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy lasted around 25 minutes, Axios said, citing the sources briefed on its details.
After Zelenskyy congratulated Trump, the newly elected U.S. leader said he would support Ukraine, but did not go into details, according to Axios.
Three sources briefed on the call told Axios that the Ukraine President felt the call went well and that it did not increase his anxiety about Trump’s victory.
Trump and Zelenskyy had met at the president-elect’s New York base in Trump Tower in September. Afterward, Trump had posted on his Truth Social app: “Just had a great meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. If I’m elected President, the war with Russia and Ukraine will end quickly. If not, that war will never end, and will phase into WORLD WAR III.”
As per the sources cited by Axios, Musk weighed in on Wednesday’s call between the two leaders to say he would continue supporting Ukraine through his Starlink internet satellites.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha, while Zelenskyy’s office could not be immediately reached.
Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance’s press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha, while Elon Musk could not be immediately reached.
Musk’s support for Trump during the election season got him into hot water with Pa.’s district attorney, after the billionaire businessman proposed a daily $1M cash giveaway for registered voters in swing states.
In addition to being Tesla’s (TSLA) CEO, Musk is the top boss of space transportation and exploration firm SpaceX (SPACE) and social media website X (formerly Twitter). He also founded neurotechnology firm Neuralink.
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