Errol Musk, the father of U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, has arrived in Moscow to attend the Forum of the Future 2050, a pro-Kremlin event scheduled for June 9-10,  the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on June 8.

The report comes amid a high-profile public conflict between Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest businessman, and his former ally, U.S. President Donald Trump. In May, Musk announced he would step down as an advisor to Trump and as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Since then, he has emerged as a major critic of the president.

The pro-Kremlin event will be hosted by the Tsargrad Institute and led by far-right Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin.

"I am eager to meet everyone. As far as I know, Russians are among the most intelligent people on the planet. It would be foolish not to ask their opinion on all sorts of issues," Errol Musk was quoted as saying by the Russian state news agency TASS.

Among the forum's panels are sessions titled "Russian Space: The Race for Mars" and "The Battle for Hearts and Minds: The Ideology of Sovereign Russia."

According to Kommersant, scheduled speakers include Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, and prominent state TV anchor Ekaterina Andreeva.

Errol Musk, a former South African businessman and politician, has publicly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "a strong leader" and saying that "it would be foolish not to admire Putin" in an April interview with BBC Russia.  

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Errol's attendance at the far-right event comes amid growing scrutiny of his son, Elon Musk, whose role as the head of SpaceX and the Starlink satellite network places him at the center of both U.S. defense operations and Ukraine's battlefield communications.

SpaceX holds billions in Pentagon and NASA contracts, including a $1.8-billion agreement with the U.S. intelligence community to build a classified spy satellite system.

Despite initially aiding Ukraine by providing Starlink terminals to stabilize battlefield communications, Elon Musk has increasingly echoed Kremlin-aligned narratives.

He has suggested that President Volodymyr Zelensky lacks public support in Ukraine and has repeatedly called U.S. aid a driver of a "never-ending draft meat grinder."

Those statements have been warmly received by Russian officials, military bloggers, and state media outlets, which have praised Musk as a voice of reason and a critic of Western involvement in the war.

Dmitry Novikov, deputy chairman of the Russian parliament's international affairs committee, said on June 6 that Moscow is ready to grant political asylum to Musk following his public dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump.

US expects Russia’s retaliation for Operation Spiderweb to continue soon

One official told Reuters that while the timing remains unclear, a retaliatory strike could be expected in the coming days and is likely to be “asymmetrical.”

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Errol Musk, the South African billionaire and father of Elon Musk, traveled to Moscow to take part in a Kremlin-aligned ideological forum “Future-2050” organized by Alexandr Dugin, a central figure in Russia’s Kremlin-backed nationalist movement. During his visit, Musk Sr. expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated several Ukraine-related narratives of Kremlin propaganda.

Forum hosted by Russian World ideologist Alexandr Dugin

On 7 June, Russian propaganda outlets Tsargrad and REN TV reported that Errol Musk had arrived in Moscow to attend the “Future Forum-2050.” The event is organized by Alexandr Dugin, who is widely known as the chief ideologist of the “Russian World” concept and a vocal supporter of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Dugin has long advocated for the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and played a role in pro-Russian protests in 2014.

The forum is backed by Konstantin Malofeev, a Russian Orthodox businessman recognized for financing projects promoting radical anti-Western and anti-democratic ideologies.

Musk Sr. repeats Kremlin claims about Ukraine and Putin

Speaking to journalists at the event, Errol Musk once again expressed his support for Vladimir Putin, according to Liga. He repeated several well-known Kremlin talking points, including false claims about “biolaboratories” in Ukraine and the supposed need to “protect Russian-speaking populations.” These themes are central to Russia’s narrative justifying its aggression in Ukraine.

WSJ uncovers Musk’s regular communications with Kremlin since 2022

Earlier, on 4 April 2025, Musk Sr. told the Russian-language BBC service that his family holds “a certain admiration” for Putin.

Forum agenda includes Russian ideological and military themes

The forum is structured around a series of panels and discussions focusing on Russia’s ideological future and military aspirations. The announced topics include:

• “The fight for souls and minds. The ideology of sovereign Russia”
• “Russian cosmism. The race for Mars”
• “Digital sovereignty. Artificial intelligence in the service of Russia”
• “Patriotic education. The image of the hero of our time”
• “Wars of the future. Gamification of war”

Among the invited speakers are Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, state TV host and top propagandist Ekaterina Andreeva from Channel One, and a number of propagandists from Western countries.

Elon Musk claims Odesa could fall if Russo-Ukrainian war drags on

Russia is prepared to offer political asylum to tech billionaire Elon Musk following his public feud with U.S. President Donald Trump, Dmitry Novikov, deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said June 6.

"I think Musk is playing a completely different game, that he won't need political asylum, although if he did, Russia could certainly provide it," Novikov told the state-run news agency TASS.

The remarks came days after Musk's 130-day stint as head of a temporary federal commission ended on May 30, and amid deepening tensions between the Tesla CEO and Trump.

The feud began when Musk publicly criticized the administration's "Big Beautiful Bill," a sweeping tax proposal that economists warn could expand the U.S. deficit by $600 billion.

Trump responded by personally attacking Musk during his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on June 5. In his Truth Social post, Trump said that Musk "just went crazy."

Musk replied on social media that Trump owed his electoral victory to him, claiming that without his influence, Democrats would have maintained control of the House.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a frequent purveyor of anti-Western rhetoric, joked on X that Moscow would broker peace between "D and E" — referring to Trump and Musk — in exchange for Starlink shares.

"Don't fight, guys," Medvedev wrote.

Musk was a key figure in Trump's campaign and early administration. As head of the government efficiency task force, he led efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has provided over $37 billion in aid to Ukraine.

Despite initially supporting Ukraine and providing Starlink satellite systems to bolster military communications, Musk has increasingly echoed Russian narratives.

The billionaire has falsely claimed that President Volodymyr Zelensky has little support in Ukraine and accused Kyiv of waging a "never-ending draft meat grinder."

He has also lobbied against U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, arguing it only prolongs the war — a line frequently used by Kremlin officials to discourage Western backing for Kyiv.

Musk's comments have earned praise from Russian officials and propagandists, including state TV hosts and military bloggers who now view the billionaire as a sympathetic figure.

‘Loud night in Kyiv, Dad’ — US envoy’s daughter appeals to Kellogg during Russian attack

“It might be the explosions and gunfire in the dead of night, but I get the strange feeling the Russians don’t want peace,” Meaghan Mobbs, daughter of U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, wrote on X.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

[L'article Elon Musk et Donald s’affrontent sur les réseaux sociaux a d'abord été publié dans InfoBref.]

The coordination center of the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) operation Web on Russian territory was located directly next to one of the FSB’s regional offices, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UkrInform reports. 

On 1 June, the SBU carried out a unique special operation called Web (Pavutynnia), launching smart FPV-drone strikes on four Russian airbases. As a result of the operation, over 40 aircraft were struck, including A-50 radar planes, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 bombers. The estimated value of the destroyed bombers exceeds $7 billion. Russia used them to target Ukrainian civilians. 

In his daily address to the nation, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the SBU, especially to the agency’s chief, General Vasyl Maliuk, and to everyone involved in the operation.

According to him, the operation was in preparation for more than a year and a half.

“The planning, coordination, and every detail were perfectly prepared. The most interesting part, something we can already say publicly, is that the office for our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to a regional FSB office,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that 117 drones were used in the operation, each operated by a separate team.

“As a result, 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers at their airbases were hit. Our people were active across different Russian regions in three time zones,” the Ukrainian leader reported.

All personnel involved in preparing Operation Web were successfully withdrawn from Russian territory in time.

“Of course, we can’t reveal everything yet, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly be recorded in history books. Ukraine is defending itself, and rightfully so. We are doing everything to make Russia feel the need to end this war. Russia started this war. Russia must end it,” the president stated.

Meanwhile, many politicians and journalists have reacted to the operation, saying that Ukraine surprisingly has the cards. They hint at US President Donald Trump’s statement that Kyiv does not have the conditions to dictate its terms in peace negotiations. 

For instance, American billionaire Elon Musk, who is known for his ambiguous stance on the war in Ukraine, has also commented on the strikes. 

He responded in the comments under a post by another user who had praised the Ukrainian operation. Musk highlighted the operation’s technological aspect, saying that “Drones are the future of warfare. Manned aircraft are not.”

Telegram and Elon Musk's xAI will enter a one-year partnership, integrating the Grok chatbot into the messaging app, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced on May 28.

Musk, the world's richest man who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, commented that "no deal has been signed," prompting Durov to clarify that the deal has been agreed in "principle" with "formalities pending."

"This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market," Durov said.

"Elon Musk and I have agreed to a one-year partnership to bring xAI’s chatbot Grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps."

The announcement comes as Musk announces his exit from his role in the Trump administration to focus on his business ventures, many of which saw their profits drop in the past few months.

Musk founded xAI in 2023, and earlier this year, another of his ventures, X Corp., which operates the X social platform, acquired the AI company. Grok is xAI's flagship project and has already been integrated into X.

Musk's takeover of X saw the social platform, formerly known as Twitter, become the leading source of disinformation, EU officials said. The Grok chatbot also faced scrutiny recently after posting unprompted comments on the topic of so-called "white genocide" in South Africa, Musk's home country.

Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, currently resides in Dubai and holds Russian, Emirati, and French citizenship. He is under investigation in France for criminal activity on his messaging app.

Durov has claimed he is a pariah and has been effectively exiled from Russia, but it was reported last year that he had visited Russia over 60 times since leaving the country, according to Kremlingram, a Ukrainian group that campaigns against the use of Telegram in Ukraine.

Telegram remains one of the most popular social media platforms among Ukrainians. A September 2023 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that 44% of Ukrainians use Telegram to receive information and news.

Ukrainian officials have warned about security risks associated with using Telegram, leading to restrictions on its use by civil servants and politicians.

Trump holds off on sanctions to push Ukraine-Russia peace efforts

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 that he has not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believes a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine may be within reach.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Elon Musk announced on May 29 that his time as a special government employee in the Trump administration is coming to an end, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for the "opportunity to reduce wasteful spending."

The billionaire, who oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) massive layoffs and cuts across government agencies, said the department's mission will continue.

"The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," Musk wrote on his social platform X.

The later days of Musk's 130-day tenure, which is set to conclude on May 30, were accompanied by growing tensions between the world's richest man and senior members of the Trump administration, reportedly including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Musk also criticized a massive Trump-backed domestic policy bill passed by the Republicans in the House of Representatives last week, saying the legislation "increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing."

A White House official confirmed to Reuters that the owner of Tesla, X, and SpaceX is departing the administration. His exit, described as quick and unceremonious, was reportedly decided on a senior staff level and without a conversation with Trump, who previously repeatedly praised the billionaire.

The businessman was one of the most visible figures of Trump's election campaign and the early days of his administration, leading the effort to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S.'s chief foreign aid agency.

USAID was vital in providing humanitarian relief worldwide and funded thousands of programs supporting human rights, democracy, education, civil society, and infrastructure development.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support, helping to rebuild schools after Russian attacks, pay for bomb shelters, advanced medical equipment for hospitals and much more.

Despite massive repercussions for the work of federal agencies and their employees, DOGE's steps were described as falling short of Musk's bold cost-saving ambitions, with the initial goal of saving $2 trillion downgraded to $150 billion.

Musk eventually scaled down his public presence amid dropping popularity ratings and slumping Tesla profits.

The businessman has also been vocal on the Russia-Ukraine war. While initially declaring support for the invaded country and providing his Starlink satellite communications to Ukraine, he gradually adopted pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian talking points.

Musk spread narratives that President Volodymyr Zelensky has minimal support in the country, despite numerous polls showing otherwise, and accused the Ukrainian president of perpetuating a "never-ending draft meat grinder."

The billionaire has also repeatedly campaigned against military aid for Kyiv, claiming it only prolongs the war.

Trump admits to protecting Russia from ‘really bad things’ during Ukraine peace talks

Trump’s comments come amid growing pressure on the U.S. administration to respond to escalating Russian attacks.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Last week, Argentinian president Javier Milei was fending off flak and calls for his impeachment. He was accused of fraud for promoting a cryptocurrency that swiftly collapsed, reportedly causing $251 million in losses for 86% of investors. It is the first embarrassment in what has been an extended honeymoon period for Milei, a reformer who promises to remake government in his own libertarian image.  

But if things were getting uncomfortable for him in Buenos Aires, bounding onto the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland with a chainsaw, he seemed right at home. The chainsaw was a gift for Elon Musk, an unabashed admirer of Milei’s economic policies, his belief that government needs to essentially just get out of the way.  

In Argentina, Milei frequently cites his international clout as evidence of the appeal of his libertarian ideology. He says that Trump brought Musk into his government to replicate the role of Federico Sturzenegger, Argentina’s Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation. Whether Musk is a committed libertarian in the Milei and Sturzenegger mold is unknown. And unlike them, Musk has no electoral remit to enact his reforms. Back in September 2024, though, when DOGE had not yet taken shape, Musk posted on X that the “example” Milei was “setting with Argentina will be a helpful model for the rest of the world.”

And With DOGE fully up and running, Musk described Sturzenegger’s “Chainsaw 2.0” or “deep chainsaw” plans as “awesome.” In this plan, the national government of Argentina would, for instance, not build public housing because it’s something the private sector can do. The “lesson for other countries,” Sturzenegger says, “is that we should revisit the limits of what can be done.”

Just over a year into his government, Milei cut public spending by 30%, shut down half of the country's ministries, eliminated hundreds of laws and decrees, slashed nearly 40,000 public sector jobs, and reduced public works budgets to a bare minimum—all without major civil unrest, in the face of an opposition that remains largely paralyzed.

The shock Americans feel as they try to comprehend exactly how much power DOGE has been given, is how Argentinians felt as they watched Milei’s government—largely composed of individuals with no political experience, some without even a formal appointment—dismantle the state. 

While Milei has dramatically reduced inflation to 2.2%—no small feat in a country where inflation had crossed 200%—his cuts, alongside soaring costs, have also pushed some into poverty and his once high approval ratings are falling. 

That’s why his trip to the U.S. was important. At CPAC it’s Milei’s conservatism – last month in Davos, he railed against the “promoters of the sinister agenda of wokeism” – that counts, not the facts of his governance. Milei takes pride in his high standing within the global right wing. He is a part of what Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, in her own CPAC speech, called a global conservative collaboration. “When Bill Clinton and Tony Blair created a global, leftist liberal network in the 90s,” she said, “they were called ‘statesmen.’ Today when Trump, Meloni, Milei and, maybe, Modi talk, they are called a ‘threat to democracy.’ This is the left’s double standard.” It is this global prominence, Milei hopes, that will continue to propel his agenda forward in Argentina and shield him from the fallout of the crypto scandal. 

As for Milei’s effect on the U.S. – both Trump and Musk appear to be looking at him as the canary in the coalmine of radical deregulation. Just how far can governments go down the path of libertarianism? How far can they go to redefine the role of government in society?  Both approaches reflect a foundational shift in governance philosophy - from institutional processes to disruption by outsiders who view existing systems as obstacles rather than safeguards.

Milei’s first year in government offers a preview of what's unfolding in America. Musk is now taking Milei's playbook further by adding technology - developing AI tools to automate the government downsizing that Milei executed manually with his 40,000 job cuts. Both men use their credentials as disruptors to justify radical changes while dismissing criticism as establishment resistance. And both have created a mutual amplification system - Milei points to Musk's support as validation while Musk points to Argentina as proof that his approach works, despite emerging evidence to the contrary in both cases. A U.S. district judge has, at least temporarily, stopped DOGE from accessing treasury data on the grounds that such data might be “improperly disclosed.” As questions mount about DOGE’s intentions, including from its own employees, Americans should watch Argentina’s libertarian experiment closely. It could serve not as a blueprint but as a warning about what happens when bureaucratic guardrails are dismantled with chainsaws, real or metaphorical.

A version of this story was published in this week’s Coda Currents newsletter. Sign up here.

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