RUSSIAN ASSET: Elon Musk reportedly spoke with Vladimir Putin before tweeting Ukraine appeasement plan
Elon Musk reportedly had private talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to tweeting Kremlin talking points on how to end the war in Ukraine, according to political analyst Ian Bremmer. The founder of the political risk consulting firm, Eurasia Group, claims that Musk told him during a conversation two weeks ago that Putin explicitly told him that he was “prepared to negotiate” under the conditions that Crimea remains under Russian control, that Ukraine remained neutral, and that Russia’s annexations of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia were enforced, Yahoo News reported.
“According to Bremmer, Putin told Musk that these were goals he’d accomplish “no matter what,” or else he would turn to “major escalation.”
“I have spoken to Putin only once and that was about 18 months ago. The subject matter was space,” Musk said, responding to the allegations.
Ukraine-Russia Peace:
– Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.
– Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).
– Water supply to Crimea assured.
– Ukraine remains neutral.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
“The Logan Act prohibits private citizens from attempting to carry out official U.S. foreign policy.” – Politico
Also worth noting that a possible, albeit unlikely, outcome from this conflict is nuclear war
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
Even before news leaked of a possible conversation between the world’s richest man and the world’s most maniacal, Musk drew criticism for his peace “proposal.” Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Anton Geraschenko asked if the billionaire’s Twitter account had “been hacked by Russians.”
Has the account of @elonmusk been hacked by Russians?
Or has Elon Musk himself been hacked? https://t.co/fMhcd0SfKZ
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 3, 2022
Attorney and Ukrainian diplomat Andrij Melnyk – who wasn’t here to play Elon Musk’s war games – responded with a very appropriate, “Fuck off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk.”
Fuck off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk
— Andrij Melnyk (@MelnykAndrij) October 3, 2022
The world’s richest keyboard warrior is no stranger to social media backlash, nor to landing in legal trouble because of his habit. Reckless tweeting has opened the EV maker up to multiple investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, several lawsuits claiming market manipulation, and now possible violations of the Logan Act – which bars United States citizens from engaging in backroom diplomacy.
The Logan Act (18 U.S. Code § 953) makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to engage in unauthorized foreign diplomacy, including to “influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government” or to “defeat the measures of the United States.”
A secret conversation between President Putin and Elon Musk definitely fits the bill.
Enacted in 1799, the Logan Act was most recently used by former FBI Director James Comey in the agency’s investigation into former Trump Security Advisor, Lt. General Michael Flynn, an investigation made moot by Donald Trump’s pardon of Flynn.
With talk of World War 3 circling, and Eastern Europe on the brink of a nuclear holocaust, it’s time to take Elon Musk seriously – and fast. It’s one thing to troll celebrities on social media, but engaging in appeasement talks with a war criminal – a committed enemy of democracy — raises the stakes, for both America and the world.
Attorney General Merrick Garland – you know what to do. Mr. Logan? Meet Mr. Musk.
Original reporting by Rebecca Cohen and John Haltiwanger at Business Insider.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick
