Palm Beach, Florida:
The close bond between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has been well established in recent months, with the billionaire entrepreneur going all in on his bet on a Trump presidency. Now that Donald Trump has emerged victorious from his election campaign and been elected president, it may be time for him to cement a role for his “biggest supporter” in his coming administration.
Donald Trump had already hinted at a role for Elon Musk in his administration, but one could only guess what kind of role that might be and how big or significant. On Wednesday, Donald Trump reportedly gave the world a taste of what Musk's role could be.
Elon Musk was with Donald Trump at the president-elect's residence and luxury Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, when Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone. During the phone call, Donald Trump reportedly handed the phone to Elon Musk and asked the SpaceX founder to join the call with President Zelensky.
It is not yet known whether they have discussed any changes in U.S. policy toward Ukraine.
In his victory speech on the day of the US election results, Donald Trump said he will “not start wars, but help end them”.
CNN confirmed the development, citing a source who spoke to the US news agency on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conversation. CNN further credited US news firm Axios.
THE PHONE CALL
According to the Axios news report, there were two surprises that day: the first was that Elon Musk spoke with Zelensky, and the second that Zelensky was reportedly “somewhat reassured by what he heard.” This shows how important and influential a role Elon Musk could ultimately play in the Trump 2.0 administration.
The report further stated that the phone call between Trump, Musk and Zelensky lasted almost half an hour. After being congratulated by Zelensky, Trump reportedly said he will support Ukraine, but did not reveal much else.
THE SECURITY
Elon Musk then assured President Zelensky that he will continue to help Ukraine through his Starlink satellite constellation. Since the Russian invasion in 2022, Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system has given Ukraine a significant frontline advantage by allowing its armed forces to share real-time drone coordinates, data and imagery between units. It also provided support to Ukraine's military communications in areas where mobile phone networks had been destroyed.
Zelensky and Trump had recently met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The two leaders had discussed how to end the war with Russia and find a diplomatic solution. “I promise you will be happy with me,” Trump reportedly told Zelensky during that meeting.
“I had an excellent conversation with President Trump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory – his great campaign made this result possible,” President Zelensky wrote on X on Wednesday after the phone call between Trump, Musk and him.
