What is brewing? Elon Musk joins Trump-Zelenskyy call

A senior Ukrainian official confirmed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk took part in a phone call between the US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Trump’s recent election victory.

The official confirmed to the news agency AFP that the report about the call in a US news site Axios was accurate.

Also Read: How Trump's win saw Elon Musk's net worth go up by $26 billion; Jeff Bezos gains $7.1 billion

Another official told the news agency that Musk was not only part of the call but he was also physically present along with Trump.

“Musk wasn’t on the line, Trump gave him the phone. They were there together somewhere,” said the source.

What they discussed

The Ukrainian president reportedly spoke briefly with Musk and thanked him for the Starlinks, the satellite internet devices used by Ukrainian troops provided by Starlink Services LLC, the international telecommunications company owned by Musk’s SpaceX.

Also Read: Elon Musk: Trump’s billion-dollar wingman comes in handy in US polls

The main conversation was between Zelenskyy and Trump, said the official, though they did not discuss anything substantial. It was more of a courtesy call after Trump won the election.

Zelenskyy said that he had an excellent call with Trump, and they agreed “to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation”.

Musk’s role in the new administration

The billionaire businessman has been one of the most vocal and high-profile supporters of Trump’s presidential bid in addition to having contributed generously to finance the campaign.

Also Read: 2024 US polls: ‘I love you, Elon,’ an overjoyed Donald Trump declares in victory speech

The fact that he was present during one of Trump’s first international calls indicates his close ties with the next US president and could mean that he will play an active role in the new administration, as several analysts have been speculating.