In a surprising revelation, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, reportedly told Pentagon officials that he had personally spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conversation allegedly took place during a call about the satellite-based internet services that SpaceX provides to Ukraine's military.

Musk shared this information with Colin Kahl, the former top policy official at the Pentagon, in October. Kahl inferred that Musk seemed concerned about how SpaceX's involvement with Ukraine was being viewed in Russia, as it was seen as supporting the Ukrainian war effort. Musk's disclosure to Kahl contradicted his previous denial of speaking to Putin, which he made in a tweet last year.

However, Musk clarified in another tweet that he had only spoken to Putin once, about 18 months ago, regarding space-related matters. The report raises questions about the controversy that emerged after Musk posted peace plans for the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin praised Musk's proposals, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized them.

Following Musk's announcement, Ukrainian troops reported outages in Starlink, leading Musk to threaten to stop funding Ukraine's access to the service. At one point, SpaceX even requested that the US and its allies contribute more to the funding of Starlink in Ukraine.

However, Musk later reversed his position and pledged to continue funding the initiative. In June, the Defense Department announced a contract with SpaceX for its services in Ukraine. The Defense Department spokesperson, Jeff Jurgensen, acknowledged the coverage and interest in this matter.

However, he stated that the department has not released additional details regarding specific capabilities, contracts, or partners, given the critical nature of these systems. The revelation of Musk's conversation with Putin adds a new layer to the complex dynamics between SpaceX, Ukraine, and Russia.