By Katharine Jackson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his presidential election victory, Tesla CEO and Trump supporter Elon Musk joined the call, according to media reports on Friday.
During the 25-minute call on Wednesday, the day after the election, Trump told Zelenskiy he would support Ukraine, without providing details, and Musk said he would continue supplying Starlink satellites, Axios reported, citing unidentified sources.
Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defense effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since Russia invaded its neighbor in 2022.
Zelenskiy was telling Trump how important the satellites had been for internet service during the war when Trump said Musk was with him and put the billionaire on the line, the Washington Post reported.
Trump and Musk were at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach residence and club, when the call took place, according to the New York Times.
Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump’s presidential campaign and made public appearances with him. Trump has said he would offer Musk, the world’s richest person, a role in his administration promoting government efficiency.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump campaign said it did not comment on private meetings.
Zelenskiy was among the first leaders to congratulate Trump, who has been critical of U.S. military and financial support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Zelenskiy said in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday that his conversations with Trump should continue.
“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 said.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
