Reports Elon Musk Joins Surprise Trump-Zelensky Call

Elon Musk joined a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump following Trump’s election win, a high-ranking Ukrainian official confirmed to AFP on Friday, November 8.

According to the official, the report by Axios detailing Musk’s participation in the call on Wednesday was accurate. Musk, who invested over $110 million in support of the Republican campaign, has been influential in Trump’s election. Trump has even suggested he intends to involve Musk in an advisory capacity within his administration.

Another senior Ukrainian source revealed that Musk was present with Trump during the call, though not initially on the line. Trump reportedly handed the phone to Musk, who spoke briefly with Zelensky. The Ukrainian president thanked Musk for providing Starlink internet services, which have been crucial for Ukrainian troops. However, the main discussion remained between Zelensky and Trump and was described as a general greeting rather than covering significant topics.

Following the conversation, Zelensky publicly congratulated Trump on his victory, describing the call as “excellent” and expressing a shared intention to continue their countries’ cooperation. However, he did not mention speaking with Musk.

Trump’s team declined to confirm Musk’s role in the conversation, citing a policy of not commenting on private communications. According to Axios, which cited two sources, the call lasted around 25 minutes and left Zelensky somewhat reassured by Trump’s statements.

Zelensky later emphasized the importance of “strong and unwavering U.S. leadership” under Trump for achieving a fair peace in Ukraine. Trump has claimed he could resolve the conflict in 24 hours, while criticizing current levels of U.S. aid to Ukraine, raising concerns among Ukrainian leaders about future American support.

On Thursday, Zelensky expressed that it would be unacceptable for Europe to make concessions to Russia to end the conflict. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Trump’s resilience following an assassination attempt in July and stated he was open to discussions with the incoming U.S. president.