Russian political party requests political asylum for Musk, senior MP claims
Russian authorities are considering a request from the New People’s Party to offer political asylum to U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk, claimed the party’s lawmaker, Vladislav Davankov, to the Russian media on June 20.
Davankov, deputy speaker of the State Duma, told reporters at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that his party had formally petitioned the Russian Foreign Ministry to provide Musk with asylum. The request is expected to be reviewed within a month, he reportedly said.
“I think Elon Musk has made mistakes, but those mistakes should be forgiven,” Davankov said. “If things don’t work out for him, we are always ready to welcome him — from a technological and visionary point of view, he’s very impressive."
The claim could not be independently verified, and there has been no official confirmation from the Russian Foreign Ministry or Musk. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, telling reporters, “Let’s wait for a statement from the Foreign Ministry or from Musk himself before we say anything."
The alleged request follows a public conflict that erupted between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month. The billionaire later expressed regret over a series of critical posts aimed at Trump, calling a proposed government spending bill “disgusting” and warning of economic consequences.
Trump hit back during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on June 5, saying on Truth Social that Musk had “just gone crazy."
In response, Musk claimed on social media that Trump owed him his electoral victory, suggesting his influence prevented Democrats from retaining the House.
Earlier this month, Dmitry Novikov, deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told state-run news agency TASS that Russia would be ready to provide Musk with political asylum if needed.
“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 said on June 6.
The feud has attracted attention in Russia, where Musk is increasingly viewed as a sympathetic figure. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, joked on X that Moscow could broker peace between “D and E,” referring to Donald and Elon, in exchange for Starlink shares. “Don’t fight, guys,” Medvedev wrote.
Musk led a federal commission on government efficiency until May 30 and has been a key figure in dismantling U.S. foreign aid institutions, including USAID, which has delivered billions in aid to Ukraine.
Though he initially supported Ukraine by providing Starlink satellite systems to aid its defense, Musk eventually adopted Russian talking points, claiming President Volodymyr Zelensky lacks popular support and accusing Kyiv of running a “never-ending draft meat grinder."
He has also spoken out against U.S. military aid to Ukraine, a stance that aligns closely with Kremlin messaging aimed at discouraging Western support for Kyiv.
The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir