Putin ‘told Elon Musk he would use nuclear weapons if Ukraine tried to retake Crimea’

Elon Musk is at the centre of claims that Vladimir Putin told him he would use nuclear weapons if Ukraine tried to reclaim Crimea.

The billionaire SpaceX founder denied reports that he had spoken with the Russian president before publishing a “peace plan” on Twitter that heavily favoured Russian demands.

Reports that Mr Musk and Putin had spoken emerged through Ian Bremmer, the president of a widely respected firm that advises governments about global risks. The White House has distanced itself from the alleged phone call.

It came as Sir Jeremy Fleming, the UK’s spy chief, cautioned that there were “no guarantees” the Western alliance would see a Russian nuclear attack coming.

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato secretary-general, also warned that Russian sabotage attacks on Western targets could prompt the West to enter a war with Russia, amid suspicions that Moscow planted explosives on underwater gas pipelines.

Ukraine was again targeted by long-range precision missiles fired by Russia on Tuesday after a heavy wave of attacks on Monday. But recent counter-attacks by Ukraine have left Putin's forces on the back foot.

Putin 'prepared to negotiate' - if Russia keeps Crimea

Putin is said to have told Mr Musk that he was “prepared to negotiate” with Ukraine if the Crimean peninsula - annexed by Moscow in 2014 - remains in Russian hands and Ukraine “accepts a formal status of neutrality”.

"The alternative being major escalation. And further, if Zelensky invaded Crimea, Russia would retaliate with a nuclear strike on Ukraine. Elon said everything needed to be done to avoid that outcome," reported Mr Bremmer.

The 51-year-old South African, who has American citizenship, denied the reports, saying he had only spoken to the Russian leader once, 18 months ago, about space.

John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman, said of Mr Musk's alleged call: "Obviously, he's not representing the United States government in those conversations."

After Mr Musk's apparent conversation with Putin, the billionaire published a plan for peace on Twitter, which included UN-supervised elections in four occupied regions that Moscow last week moved to annex.

The Tesla Inc chief executive also suggested that Crimea be formally recognised as Russia, that water supply to Crimea be assured and that Ukraine remains neutral - all echoing Putin’s position. Mr Musk then asked Twitter users to vote yes or no on the plan.

Mr Musk's input was met with fury in Kyiv but was welcomed by the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it was “very positive that somebody like Elon Musk is looking for a peaceful way out of this situation".

It is the first suggestion Mr Musk has had such personal contact with the Russian leader since the Ukraine war began in late February.

Mr Musk, 51, had himself hinted over the weekend that he had been in contact with Russian officials over SpaceX’s donation of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to boost its internet access.

Asked if he had been “in regular contact with any other party involved in this war?,” he replied: “Quite a few. Trying to do the right thing, which is not always clear.”

Mr Bremmer said it was the tweet that prompted him to disclose his alleged conversation with Mr Musk. “My response was to not take Putin at face value and that there was zero chance Ukraine could or the West would go for Putin’s ‘deal’,” he wrote.

“It felt to me like Elon considered that a reasonable response. But then last week, he posted essentially the same points on Twitter.”

According to the Eurasia Group founder, who also serves as foreign affairs columnist and editor-at-large for Time magazine, as well as a contributor for the Financial Times’s A-List, Mr Musk rejected a request from Ukraine to use the Starlink internet terminals in Crimea.

The Financial Times published a story last week on Ukrainian forces complaining of connectivity issues in areas they had retaken by Russian forces in the east and north-east of the country.

Mr Musk tweeted on Sunday: