As tensions between Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump continue to escalate, Dmitry Novikov, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs and a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, has suggested that Musk may opt for political asylum in Russia.
Novikov made the suggestion following a bitter exchange of words between Musk and Trump, which was carried by the Russian news agency TASS.
In reply to a question of whether Russia would be ready to provide Musk with asylum, as in the situation of Edward Snowden, Novikov replied, "I believe that Musk has a completely different game, that he will not require any political asylum, although, if he did, Russia, of course, could provide it."
He also noted that over the years Musk has built "a type of political communication," implying that any personal differences must be kept apart from wider political issues.
Novikov went on to explain, "At the moment, the Democrats' return to the White House within three years is not what I believe Musk requires and not what he is willing to cheer. Hence, there are tactical differences, and there are strategic things, and he will stick to them, in my opinion."
The remarks were preceded by vocal condemnation from Steve Bannon, ex-White House strategist and one of Musk's most vocal critics, who called Musk "an illegal alien" and demanded that he be deported immediately from the US. Bannon also called for the government to take over Musk's space company, SpaceX.
"They [US government] ought to open a formal inquiry into his immigration status since I hold the firm view that he is an illegal alien and needs to be deported from the country forthwith," Bannon stated. His statement followed after Musk vowed to put SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft operations, which carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), in jeopardy. Bannon warned that this action would represent a significant threat to national security and appealed to Trump to use the Defense Production Act to seize control of SpaceX immediately.
When questioned about the controversy on Friday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov refused to comment, stressing, "This is an internal matter of the United States, and we do not plan to interfere. We are sure that the US president will sort things out by himself," the Moscow Times reports.
Of particular note is Russia's record of providing asylum to high-profile individuals such as ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and British blogger Graham Phillips, who is well known for his pro-Kremlin stance.
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