Go to the media bankRussian President Vladimir Putin. File photoMOSCOW, Oct 19 Russian President Vladimir Putin «used» American businessman Elon Musk to send a message to the West calling for peace in Ukraine on his own terms, says Fiona Hill, adviser to former US President Donald Trump in an interview with Politico.
"Putin plays on the ambitions of big people, gives them the feeling that they can play a big role. In reality, they are simply transmitting his messages. <…> He wants the West to go along with his goals, using messengers like billionaire Elon Musk to propose measures that will end the conflict on his terms,” Hill said.
In her opinion, Putin has taken a principled position on the issue of new Russian territories. «It is obvious that he has not the slightest intention of giving away Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye, as well as Crimea, which he has already declared part of Russia for centuries,» the former Trump adviser. Vice previously reported that Musk allegedly recently had a conversation with Putin. The media refers to the American political scientist Ian Bremmer, who, in turn, quoted his conversation with the businessman himself. According to Bremmer, Musk told him that Putin was «ready for negotiations,» but only if Crimea remains Russian, Ukraine will have a neutral status and recognize the entry of the LPR, DPR, and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions into Russia. Musk later denied reports that he had discussed with Putin the settlement of the situation in Ukraine. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov also called this information false and stressed that their last conversation took place a year and a half ago. In early October, the head of Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk wrote that he doubted the possibility of Ukraine winning in the event of a full-scale war with Russia, and urged side to the world. He offered his vision of the conflict settlement. The plan calls for a «re-vote» in the Donbass «under UN supervision», keeping Crimea «a formal part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (before Khrushchev's mistake)», guarantees of Crimea's water supply, and a neutral status for Ukraine.
Another American billionaire urged Ukraine to leave Crimea to Russia