Amid rising tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Russian officials have extended an offer of political asylum to the billionaire tech mogul.
Musk, 53, originally from South Africa and widely recognized as the world’s richest individual, appears to have severed ties with the former US president, despite what was once described as a strong rapport. The Kremlin has now stepped in with a surprising gesture.
Dmitry Novikov, who serves as the first deputy chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee on International Affairs, compared Musk’s situation to that of whistleblower Edward Snowden.
“I believe Musk is playing a much bigger game and likely won’t require asylum. However, if it came to that, Russia would certainly be willing to offer it,” Novikov stated, as reported by Metro.
Novikov also noted that Musk’s political remarks over the years show he’s forging a unique path, and that personal conflicts are unlikely to escalate into anything more serious.
The conflict erupted recently when Musk slammed the latest US government spending bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Trump responded by expressing “deep disappointment” over the criticism.
Their argument spilled onto social media, where Musk suggested the formation of a new centrist political party to represent the “80% in the middle.” He also claimed that Trump wouldn’t have won the presidency without his backing and hinted that Trump was named in Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
