Donald Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday evening.
Then he handed the phone to his new friend and huge political donor Elon Musk, sources familiar with the call revealed to the New York Times.
The pair were at the president-elect’s Florida home Mar-a-Lago when the European president phoned.
Though details from the call are unclear, Trump and Musk’s posture toward Ukraine matters very much as the country’s war with Russia is close to entering a third year.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (L), SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk (C), and President-elect Donald Trump
As the owner of SpaceX, which oversees the space-based internet provider Starlink that has been widely credited with helping Ukraine in its war against Russia, Musk has worked closely with Zelensky.
The sources familiar with the call said that the conversation was generally positive.
Another source called it a ‘good talk’ and remarked that Zelensky congratulated Trump on his recent victory over Kamala Harris.
When the phone was handed to Musk the European leader thanked the billionaire for the communications equipment, the source added.
Donald Trump, Dana White, Elon MuskDonald Trump Election Night
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he steps on stage during a rally for former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York, October 27, 2024
Elon Musk and his sone pictured with the Trump family at Mar-a-Lago
Musk has been seen hanging around Mar-a-Lago in the days following Trump’s reelection.
Photos have shown the Tesla CEO posing in intimate family pictures and touring the grounds with the president-elect.
Trump has floated that he may enlist Musk’s help in the election, too, musing that he could head up an effort to cut government waste at numerous campaign rallies.
The call highlights Musk’s growing influence in Trump’s orbit.
Axios, the outlet that first broke news of the call, reported that it lasted about 25 minutes total.
Sources told the outlet that the Ukrainians were pleased that the discussion happened so soon after the election.
Trump sent mixed messages about the Ukraine-Russia war on the campaign trail.
He said he would end the war but stayed quiet on who he’d like to see ‘win.’
He has long claimed that he would end the conflict on day one of his presidency – and now he has the chance.
