Elon Musk joined Trump’s call with Zelensky, who was surprised billionaire was on line: report
Billionaire Elon Musk joined Donald Trump in the president-elect’s phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, a new report says.
Zelensky — who wanted to talk about Trump’s victory and the future of US-Ukrainian relations amid the ongoing war with Russia — was surprised to learn that Musk was on the line with Trump when the call began Wednesday, Axios reported, citing officials familiar with the situation.
Zelensky later issued a statement describing his call with Trump as “excellent” and congratulating the former president for his “historic landslide victory.
“We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
The three-way call underscored just how close Musk is with Trump — and could indicate that the Tesla CEO will have a large role to play in the GOPer’s administration.
The two men were pictured having lunch at Mar-a-Lago together Wednesday, after Trump had won every single swing state and defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House.
Musk was even included in a Trump family picture after the election and seen walking around with the former president at the Mar-a-Lago gift shop with his kids.
The pair’s call with Zelensky lasted about 25 minutes, with Trump saying he would support Ukraine without going into specifics. according to Axios.
Musk jumped in at one point to say he would continue supporting Ukraine with access to Starlink, the report said.
The Ukrainian president appeared to be visibly pleased with the call as he hailed Trump’s “peace through strength” policy Wednesday afternoon.
“For us in Ukraine, and all across Europe, it has always been crucial to hear the words of the then 45th President of the United States about ‘peace through strength.’ When this principle becomes the policy of the 47th President, both America and the entire world will undoubtedly benefit,” Zelensky said in an X post.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed that he would be open to talking to Trump — if the president-elect made the call. President Biden has not spoken to Putin since the Kremlin launched a war in Ukraine in February of 2022.
He congratulated Trump for his victory while speaking at a conference in Sochi and said the 45th president showed that he was “brave” in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pa.
The fist in the air and the call to “fight” showed that Trump is a man who “proves” himself in “extraordinary situations,” Putin said.
Trump has long said he would attempt to bring Zelensky and Putin together to reach a deal on the Russia-Ukraine war, and that he could put a solution together in “24 hours” — even before officially coming into office.
Zelensky’s office did not respond to a request for comment from The Post on Friday.
