Elon Musk said he had engaged in direct conversation with Vladimir Putin, according to a former Pentagon official. Mr Musk’s comments had been made in a discussion the billionaire had with Pentagon officials in October last year about the satellite-based internet provided by SpaceX to Ukraine’s military. The billionaire had told Colin Kahl, then the under-secretary of defence for policy at the Pentagon, that he had spoken to Mr Putin personally, according a report on Monday in the New Yorker. “Even though Musk is not technically a diplomat or statesman, I felt it was important to treat him as such, given the influence he had on this issue,” Mr Kahl is quoted as saying. The conversation between Mr Musk and the then-Pentagon official occurred while Ukrainian forces were experiencing a disruption in their connection to Space Exploration Technologies Corp’s (SpaceX) Starlink service, coinciding with their entry into territory contested by Russia. “My inference was that he was getting nervous that Starlink’s involvement was increasingly seen in Russia as enabling the Ukrainian war effort, and was looking for a way to placate Russian concerns,” Mr Kahl told the outlet. Another source told the New Yorker that Mr Musk had previously expressed the same assertion in the weeks leading up to his tweet about a pro-Russia peace plan. He mentioned that his consultations with the Kremlin were occurring regularly. But he later denied having spoken to Mr Putin about Ukraine. A senior official is quoted as saying that on the phone call, Mr Musk said he was looking at his laptop and could see “the entire war unfolding” through a map of Starlink activity. “This was, like, three minutes before he said, ‘Well, I had this great conversation with Putin’,” the senior defence official was quoted as saying. “And we were, like, ‘Oh, dear, this is not good’.” SpaceX had put forward a request for the US and its allies to bear a larger portion of the expenses for Starlink in Ukraine. As per the unclassified talking points for the call, during the conversation, Mr Musk was reportedly appreciated for his endeavours in Ukraine, and the considerable expenses he had shouldered were acknowledged. Additionally, Mr Kahl said there was a plea made for a brief extension of a few weeks to formulate a contract. “If you cut this off, it doesn’t end the war,” Mr Kahl recalled telling Mr Musk. After a 15-minute call, Mr Musk reportedly agreed to give the Pentagon more time. Later though, in response to public backlash, he retracted his earlier statements of discontinuing the service. “The hell with it,” Mr Musk tweeted. “Even though Starlink is still losing money and other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.” In June this year, the Department of Defence disclosed that it had successfully reached an agreement with SpaceX. “We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type,” the Pentagon said in a statement at the time. Read More Ukraine war – live: Russia closes major airports as Moscow apartments hit in drone strike Elon Musk ‘stopped Ukraine military using Starlink for military operation’ Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are leaking radiation that harms deep space astronomy, study warns The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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Tributes have poured in for the actor Angus Cloud who has tragically passed away at the age of 25. The American actor played the much-loved character Fezco O’Neill in HBO’s hit series Euphoria and his untimely passing has left fans in shock. Cloud’s family confirmed the news of his death in a statement issued on 31 July. The cause of death has not been disclosed. It read: “It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways. Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence. “We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss.” One of Cloud’s final Instagram posts shared two weeks ago was a picture of his late father, shared with the caption: “Miss u breh.” The post has since been flooded with tributes to the 25-year-old. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “They together now,” one fan commented with a broken heart emoji. Another wrote: “I hope you both find each other in the after cosmos.” Someone else commented: “I’m so sorry man goddamn.” “And now we miss you too,” one comment read. One fan said: “Rip the both of you are reunited again, sweet talented soul gone too soon.” Cloud was born in Oakland, California, on 10 July 1998. He died at the family's home. Many of his celebrity friends have shared their tributes to the young actor. Actress Kerry Washington wrote: “You will be deeply missed. Rest in Power.” Musician Kid Cudi shared: “This hurts man. One of the realest dudes in this business. F**k.” Supermodel Gigi Hadid wrote in an Instagram story: “Just saw the news about the loss of Angus. I only got to work with him a couple of times, but I was immediately drawn to his kind, gentle spirit. “My deepest condolences to his closest and loved ones. May he rest in peace.” If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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