Elon Musk denies he spoke to Putin about Ukraine war

Elon Musk has denied reports helium spoke to Vladimir Putin earlier posting a Twitter canvass with his suggestions for ending Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

Ian Bremmer, caput of the Eurasia Group governmental hazard consultancy, alleged that Mr Musk had personally told him astir the speech with Mr Putin.

But Mr Musk has present refuted this.

"I person spoken to Putin lone erstwhile and that was astir 18 months ago. The taxable substance was space," Mr Musk tweeted.

The suggestions included a connection to clasp votes successful parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia that the Kremlin says it has annexed. His comments were welcomed by Moscow.

The multi-billionaire said: "Russia leaves if that is volition of the people."

President Putin has already declared 4 Ukrainian regions to beryllium portion of Russia, pursuing alleged referendums denounced arsenic fraudulent by Kyiv and its Western allies. Russia does not afloat power immoderate of the 4 regions.

Mr Musk besides suggested the satellite should "formally" recognise Crimea - illegally annexed by Moscow successful 2014 - arsenic portion of Russia.

In a newsletter, Mr Bremmer wrote that Mr Musk told him the Russian president was "prepared to negotiate", but lone if Crimea remained nether Russian control, if Ukraine accepted a signifier of imperishable neutrality, and if Kyiv recognised Russia's annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Mr Bremmer said the SpaceX brag told him that Mr Putin said these goals would beryllium accomplished "no substance what" and that determination was the imaginable of a atomic onslaught if Ukraine invaded Crimea.

But Mr Musk has since denied the reports.

Mr Musk's archetypal canvass caused wide controversy.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said radical proposing Ukraine springiness up connected its radical and onshore "must halt utilizing connection 'peace' arsenic an euphemism to 'let Russians execution and rape thousands much guiltless Ukrainians, and drawback much land'".

Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov called Mr Musk's tweet "moral idiocy, repetition of Kremlin propaganda, a betrayal of Ukrainian courageousness & sacrifice".

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed Mr Musk's suggestions, stating: "It is precise affirmative that idiosyncratic similar Elon Musk is looking for a peaceful mode retired of this situation."

But his caller tweets person seen that narration sour, with Mr Zelensky past week hitting retired astatine his Twitter polls.

US national instrumentality prevents backstage citizens from conducting overseas affairs without the support oregon engagement of the US government.

The Logan Act was signed into instrumentality by President John Adams successful 1799, but cipher has ever been prosecuted nether it.