Moscow extends asylum invitation to Elon Musk amidst escalating disagreements with Trump administration
The world watches as the public spat between controversial figures, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, heats up. The latest: Russia, with a touch of sarcasm, offers an unlikely solution.
In the midst of the ongoing feud with Donald Trump, Russia might just have a solution for Tesla CEO Elon Musk—political asylum. Dmitry Novikov, deputy chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee, stated, "I believe Musk is playing a completely different game. He thinks he doesn't need political asylum, although Russia could certainly grant it to him if he needed it" [TASS].
Previously, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, suggested on X platform that Moscow could mediate peace between the two parties, with a hint of humor, all in exchange for shares of Starlink [X].
A Rocky Relationship
The conflict started when Musk criticized the "Big Beautiful Bill" of the Trump administration's comprehensive tax and spending reforms, labeling it an "awful monstrosity" [Navidi]. Trump responded on his Truth Social platform by calling out Musk as "crazy," seemingly rejecting any further dialogue to resolve the matter [Navidi].
A Sympathetic Figure
The tensions between the two figures have intrigued Russia, with Musk being a key figure during Trump's election campaign. As head of the Task Force for Government Efficiency, Musk spearheaded efforts to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided Ukraine with over $37 billion in aid [Politics]. Although initially supporting Ukraine's cause and providing Starlink satellite systems to strengthen military communications, Musk later echoed Russian narratives more frequently [Politics].
Subsequently, Musk expressed concerns about U.S. military aid to Ukraine and falsely accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of having scarce domestic support and of running a "continuous meat grinder" [Politics]. These comments won praise from Russian officials and propagandists [Politics].
- USA
- Russia
- Elon Musk
- Dmitri Medvedev
- Duma
- Donald Trump
- Asylum Policy
- Ukraine
- Military
The Commission might consider extending the deadline for implementing new rules, given the intense public debate surrounding Elon Musk's criticism of Donald Trump's political policies, particularly in relation to the USA's aid to Ukraine. This extension could provide Musk with more time to navigate the complexities of general-news politics, only if he finds the need for it.
The seemingly strained relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has caught the attention of Russian politicians, with Dmitry Novikov sarcastically offering political asylum as a potential solution, given Musk's increased alignment with Russian narratives and his previous role in Trump's election campaign.
