Elon Musk reportedly joined Donald Trump on the president-elect's phone conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump on Thursday told NBC News he had spoken to "probably" 70 world leaders since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy, whose country was invaded by Russia in February 2022, was somewhat reassured by what he heard from Trump on a roughly 25-minute call, two sources told Axios.
The Ukrainian president also was said to be pleased that the conversation occurred so quickly after the election.
During the discussion, Trump said he would support Ukraine and Musk added he will continue supporting Zelenskyy's country through his Starlink satellites, according to Axios.
Neither Trump nor Zelenskyy delved into specifics, such as how to end the war or future U.S. aid.
The president-elect had not yet to spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the election, Axios reported Friday morning. Trump, though, told NBC News, "I think we'll speak."
News of Musk joining the call underscored the influence the Tesla and SpaceX CEO could wield during the second Trump administration.
During his campaign, Trump criticized the level of U.S. support for Ukraine's war effort and promised to end the conflict before he takes office in January.
Shortly after Trump's election victory, Zelenskyy sent a message to the president-elect to say he looked forward to an "era of a strong United States of America under President Trump's decisive leadership."
"I had an excellent call with President @realDonaldTrump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory—his tremendous campaign made this result possible. I praised his family and team for their great work," Zelenskyy posted on X.
"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."
Trump and Zelenskyy met in September in New York, where the former president said he would not abandon Ukraine but wanted to give diplomacy a chance.
"I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and Putin can't win," Zelenskyy said at the time.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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