Donald Trump: Elon Musk at his side during a phone call with Zelensky

US President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, and during the call he handed the phone over to Elon Musk. The phone call itself is not surprising. Donald Trump is the next president and has spoken to numerous heads of government in the last few days. The participation of Elon Musk is interesting. It suggests that the billionaire will play a major role not only in the election campaign, but also in the future government.

Added to this is Musk’s special relationship with Ukraine and the resistance to the Russian invasion. The Ukrainian armed forces rely on Musk’s Starlink system for communication and data transfer, for example for artillery operations. The participation of Ukraine’s largest private supporter is therefore a positive sign for the Ukrainian president.

The second surprise is that the conversation is described as positive. This was confirmed to Axios and the New York Times by people familiar with the conversation. Musk was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida. “Nothing that Zelensky and his associates heard privately from Trump and his team was alarming or gave us the feeling that Ukraine would be the one to pay the price,” Axios quoted one of the sources as saying. Zelensky himself spoke on X about an “excellent conversation” with Trump. It was agreed to “advance cooperation.”

Donald Trump claimed during his election campaign that he could end the war within 24 hours. This is an exaggeration typical of Trump. However, it remained unclear how exactly Trump as president wanted to contribute to an end to the war. Speculation abounded. Mostly it was feared that Trump could force Kyiv to give up large amounts of territory. His potential to put pressure on Kyiv is enormous. Without US financial and military assistance, Ukraine cannot continue the war. The “positive” tone suggests that Trump is not planning such a horror scenario.

On social media, President Zelensky expressed satisfaction: “It has always been important for us in Ukraine and throughout Europe to hear the words of the then 45th President of the United States about ‘Peace through Strength’. If this principle becomes part of the policy of 47th President, America and the world will undoubtedly benefit.”

And further: “It is no coincidence that Ronald Reagan is mentioned so often these days – people want trust, they want freedom, they want a normal life. For us that means a life free from Russian aggression, with a strong America , a strong Ukraine and strong allies.”

Ronald Reagan played a crucial role in the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR. His decision to become heavily involved militarily in Europe led to the then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev realizing that the USSR could not maintain this course of confrontation. Today, however, the question arises as to how long free Ukraine can continue the conflict with Russia. The land war has changed in Russia’s favor. Moscow’s strategic air offensive has destroyed most of the country’s electricity production. Before Donald Trump takes office on January 20th, a painfully long interim phase begins for Ukraine.