President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday and during the call handed the phone to Elon Musk, the increasingly influential billionaire who played a key role in providing Ukraine with communications capabilities in its war with Russia. The discussion said.
It is not clear what the three discussed, or what they discussed, about any changes in US policy toward Ukraine since Trump’s election. Musk was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and Florida residence, and the tone of the call was described as positive, according to a person familiar with the discussion.
A second person briefed on the call also confirmed Musk’s participation, as previously reported by Axios.
A spokeswoman for Trump did not immediately comment on the call.
Trump has promised a quick end to the conflict, which is widely seen as a position to allow Russia to retain territory it seized after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Musk, who has grown close to Trump in recent months and has offered him financial support. And logistical support to the president’s campaign as well as full-throated support on his social media platform, has been an important supplier to the Ukrainian war effort through his Starlink satellite communications network.