Moscow’s Quiet Offer of Protection to the Maverick Billionaire Fuels Global Speculation
(Lanka-e-News -02.July.2025, 11.45 PM) In what could be a defining moment in the increasingly fraught intersection of tech, politics and geopolitics, Russian officials have hinted at offering political asylum to one of the most controversial and influential figures of the 21st century: Elon Musk.
The story, which reads more like a Cold War-era thriller than modern diplomatic discourse, comes in the aftermath of a spectacular public falling out between former US President Donald Trump and the tech mogul. As tensions escalate, the Russian Duma has signalled its willingness to extend protection to Musk—prompting alarm in Washington, fascination in Brussels, and sheer disbelief in Silicon Valley.
The chain of events began on 5 June, when Elon Musk publicly threatened to withdraw all Tesla-related government agreements unless Trump’s fiscal policy proposals were revised. Musk, who once claimed to be instrumental in Trump’s political ascendancy, warned: “Without me, Trump doesn’t win.” He branded the former president’s proposed budget as “a grotesque insult” to American innovation and “a betrayal of taxpayers.”
Trump, never one to let an insult pass, retaliated by calling Musk “a lunatic,” during a closed-door fundraiser in New Jersey. The remark was later leaked and set off a digital firestorm, with Musk’s followers rallying to his defence and critics calling for a re-evaluation of his vast government contracts.
Amidst this public feud, an astonishing proposal emerged—from a most unlikely quarter.
Speaking on the floor of the State Duma on 20 June, Vladislav Davankov, Deputy Speaker and leader of the New People Party, announced plans to present legislation that could formally offer political protection to Elon Musk. “He made mistakes, yes,” Davankov conceded. “But a man like that deserves forgiveness.”
The announcement was as theatrical as it was politically loaded. It signalled not only a jab at Washington’s treatment of its tech elite, but also an open invitation for Musk to align with a country increasingly eager to weaponise Western discontent.
Davankov, described as an informal Kremlin proxy in liberal voter blocs, insisted that the proposal had strong support from within Russia’s power corridors. “If necessary, Russia will protect him,” added Dmitry Novikov, deputy head of the Duma’s international affairs committee.
The development has prompted consternation across Europe. European Commission officials privately confirmed they had noted “an emerging soft-diplomatic pivot by Musk.” One senior diplomat remarked: “There’s a real danger here that the West’s most famous entrepreneur is being turned into a geopolitical pawn.”
In recent weeks, a number of EU member states have quietly indicated openness to hosting Musk, should the U.S. political environment become untenable. A European Commission spokesperson was quoted as saying, “He would be most welcome,” hinting at potential investment incentives across the bloc.
But it is Moscow’s overtures—unashamed and theatrical—that have seized international headlines.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has remained cautious. Kremlin spokespersons have neither confirmed nor denied the proposal’s legitimacy, refusing to comment on Musk’s eligibility for asylum. Analysts believe this is a classic Putin strategy: maintain plausible deniability while letting proxies float the balloon.
So far, there has been no official request for asylum from Musk or his representatives. Yet the chatter has intensified—particularly as Musk’s ventures, including SpaceX, become increasingly enmeshed in national security frameworks.
Meanwhile, former Trump strategist Steve Bannon has escalated the war of words. In a fiery podcast appearance, Bannon accused Musk of “behaving like a hostile foreign agent,” and called on the U.S. government to invoke the Defense Production Act to nationalise SpaceX and revoke Musk’s citizenship.
“He’s a South African interloper, not a patriot,” Bannon thundered. “If he's playing games with Russia, exile him. Deport him. He's no longer useful to American greatness.”
The mere suggestion of forcibly nationalising SpaceX has sent shockwaves through Washington. The Defense Production Act, first enacted during the Korean War, grants the president broad powers to requisition industry for defence purposes. While it has never been used against a domestic entrepreneur of Musk’s stature, legal experts say a case could be made—if Musk is deemed to be endangering national interests.
“There’s precedent,” said one Pentagon insider. “If Musk starts leveraging SpaceX or Starlink as geopolitical bargaining chips, then yes—he could trigger a national security review.”
The answer lies not only in Musk’s technology empire, but in his global influence. Musk controls Starlink, a satellite communications network vital to both civilian and military operations. He operates Tesla and Neuralink—two firms that carry both commercial and strategic weight. He is also a global influencer with direct access to over 200 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), and his social media posts routinely move markets, influence policy, and destabilise conventional diplomacy.
In short, Elon Musk is no ordinary citizen. He is, in effect, a sovereign entity. And Russia knows it.
In a surprising twist, Trump has now begun to walk back some of his earlier remarks. Speaking at a campaign rally in Ohio on 30 June, he said: “Musk said sorry. I accept it. He’s a genius, even if he’s crazy.”
Observers believe this shift is tactical. “Trump knows the damage Musk can do if pushed too far,” said a former White House advisor. “He wants Musk in his corner come November.”
Yet that olive branch may have come too late.
While Russia has taken the lead in courting Musk, European capitals are not far behind. German ministers have already met with Tesla executives to discuss “expanding operations.” France has dangled incentives for an AI research lab. And Brussels is keen to position the EU as a safe haven for “technological independence” in an increasingly divided world.
“Elon Musk is attractive to us,” one senior EU official told . “He’s a creator. He’s also disruptive. We want creators.”
Critics say Musk is leveraging political theatre to maintain his brand as an untouchable visionary. Supporters argue that he is simply reacting to an increasingly hostile American environment.
In recent months, Musk has voiced frustration with U.S. regulatory burdens, criticised military aid to Ukraine, and publicly rebuked both Republicans and Democrats. His erratic behaviour, once dismissed as eccentricity, is now viewed by many as a calculated strategy.
“Elon Musk is creating a new model of sovereignty,” says Dr. Annette Reinhardt, a Berlin-based political theorist. “He doesn’t need a country. He needs a launchpad.”
The coming weeks will be critical. Russia’s Duma is expected to vote on the political protection proposal in mid-July. European leaders will continue their backchannel talks. And Trump—eyeing a return to the White House—must decide whether to court or confront the man he once called a “national treasure.”
Meanwhile, Elon Musk remains silent. No official statements. No media appearances. Only cryptic posts on X, such as one from last week:
"Borders are imaginary. Power is real."
It is a sentiment that captures the bizarre, thrilling, and deeply unsettling moment the world now finds itself in.
As world powers circle one of the most unpredictable men on the planet, the ultimate question is not whether Elon Musk will take asylum. It is whether, in this fractured geopolitical moment, any nation can truly contain him.
-By LeN Foreign Affairs Correspondent
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by (2025-07-02 22:31:03)
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