Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin

The implications of a secret channel of communication between Musk and Putin are enormous for western security. The Tesla tycoon is a key player in the US space programme and has a high-level security clearance. His company SpaceX launches US national security satellites, his Starlink satellite communications system is critical to the war in Ukraine, and he runs one of the world’s biggest and most influential social media platforms, X, which has provided a vehicle for Russian disinformation campaigns.

Furthermore, if Trump is elected on 5 November, Musk could play an important part in a new US administration. He has poured his own money into the campaign and made multiple personal appearances at rallies. Trump has suggested Musk could head a government commission on efficiency if he wins.

“This is a story about oligarch capture of the US,” said Fiona Hill, who was the senior director for European and Russian affairs in the Trump White House. She compared the situation in the US now to the heyday of oligarchs in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.