Ukraine-Russia war – live: Musk ‘joins Trump’s Zelensky call’ as Putin hails ‘courageous’ US election win
Elon Musk promised to support Volodymyr Zelensky with his Starlink satellites
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Your support makes all the difference.Elon Musk reportedly jumped on Donald Trump’s first call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The move potentially reveals how high Trump values the Tesla billionaire and foreshadows a possible role in his administration.
Axios reported that the president-elect told Zelensky he will support Ukraine, but didn’t go into details on a 25 minute phonecall.
Musk also weighed in to say he will continue supporting Ukraine through his Starlink satellites - that have become pivotal to Ukraine forces communications on the frontline.
Musk had previously mocked Zelensky on social media for his attempts to fundraise for his nation’s war effort.
It came as Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on winning the US election and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with him.
In his first remarks since Mr Trump’s win, Mr Putin said the president-elect had acted “like a real man” during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.
Mr Trump’s win has caused concern in Ukraine, where the Russian forces have made swift advances of late, over fears that he would curtail US support for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Russian drone strikes killed at least one person and injured 34 injured in Odesa and Kharkiv early this morning.
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Zelensky rejects ceasefire proposal as ‘nonsense,’ citing security concerns for Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has denounced calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict without firm security guarantees for Kyiv, arguing that such proposals ultimately serve Russian interests. At a recent summit, Mr Zelensky sharply criticised the notion of halting hostilities without measures to prevent a future Russian escalation, calling it a “very scary challenge” for Ukrainians.
“A ceasefire is being proposed, for instance, by a leader who is against having Ukraine in Nato. Imagine... this is nonsense and disharmony,” Mr Zelensky said.
He also noted that similar appeals for a ceasefire have been voiced by other countries, including Brazil and China, and argued that such suggestions align with Moscow’s objectives rather than prioritising Ukraine’s security needs.
Trump's victory increases uncertainty for Ukraine amid Russian advances
Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first leaders to congratulate Donald Trump, who on the campaign trail criticised the scale of US military and financial support for Kyiv and vowed to end the war quickly, without saying how.
The United States has been Kyiv’s most important ally in the war and Mr Zelensky has pointedly praised Mr Trump’s election victory in his statements.
He spoke by telephone with the Republican late on Wednesday and described the conversation as “excellent”.
“I believe President Trump really wants a quick decision. Wants - it does not mean that it will happen. And I’m (talking) here without any reproach, I am just saying that we are where we are,” he told reporters.
In Russia, whose troops control around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to speak to Trump, as any ideas on facilitating an end to the Ukraine crisis merited attention.
Mr Zelensky said: “We must be preparing for any decision. We want a fair end to the war. I am sure that the imminent end of the war means losses.”
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