Russia Offers Asylum to Elon Musk Amid Trump Feud
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In a surprising turn, Russia has indicated its willingness to offer political asylum to Elon Musk, should his escalating conflict with President Donald Trump necessitate his departure from the United States. This offer comes from Dmitry Novikov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs, who made the comments to Russian state news agency TASS.
Novikov drew a direct parallel to Edward Snowden’s asylum, suggesting that while he believes Musk likely won’t need such protection, the option is certainly on the table. This development unfolds after a week of intense political drama surrounding Musk in the U.S.
The friction between Musk and Trump intensified following Musk’s sharp criticism of a spending bill, which he called an “abomination.” Trump swiftly retaliated with insults and hints of reviewing SpaceX’s federal contracts. Adding fuel to the fire, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon labeled Musk an “illegal alien” and advocated for his deportation and the seizure of SpaceX under the Defense Production Act, especially after Musk threatened to halt his Dragon spacecraft operations, a crucial link for NASA to the International Space Station.
Despite Russia’s public offer, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov maintained that Moscow views the Trump-Musk dispute as a “domestic issue of the United States” and has no intention of interfering. However, Russia has a documented history of providing refuge to figures critical of Western governments, including Snowden and British blogger Graham Phillips.
The once-close relationship between Trump and Musk has visibly deteriorated. While both have somewhat toned down their rhetoric recently—Trump wishing Musk well, and Musk retracting his spacecraft threat—Russia’s asylum offer, however symbolic, underscores the significant shift in Musk’s political standing in the U.S. It appears Russia is watching the situation very closely.
