NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Friday that the report of phone calls between Elon Musk and Russian President Vladmir Putin should be investigated.
Nelson made the remarks to Semafor at a World Economy Summit in Washington, D.C.
“I don’t know if that story is true,” Nelson said. “If it’s true, there have been multiple conversations with Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then that would be concerning, particularly for NASA and the Department of Defense,” Nelson said.
SpaceX is involved in U.S. space efforts, such as national security satellites and transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Though Musk has endorsed former President Donald Trump and founded a super PAC to support his reelection, Nelson said NASA is nonpartisan and he mainly deals with SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell.
Nelson told Semafor his relationship with Shotwell has been “phenomenally successful.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022.
They have discussed personal topics, business, and geopolitical tensions, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The report suggested that Musk's contact with Putin could signal reengagement with the Russian leader, and support Trump's expressed desire to cut a deal over the war in Ukraine.
The Journal said Putin asked Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.