Trump-Musk feud: Russian ex-president Medvedev offers to mediate, for a fee

Amid the public fallout between US President Donald Trump and his fellow billionaire Elon Musk, with both sides trading broadsides on social media, an offer to mediate a peace deal has come from unlikely quarters. The offer has been made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, stating that Moscow is willing to broker peace between the two former friends for “a reasonable fee.”

Musk reacts to tweet

Medvedev in a post on X further elaborated that by “reasonable fee” he means the shares of Musk-owned Starlink as a payment. “Don’t fight guys,” stated Medvedev.

Musk responded to Medvedev’s post with a laughing emoji. "We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment. Don't fight, guys,” stated Medvedev.

Medvedev’s offer assumes significance as it comes at a time when Trump’s effort to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine has received a severe jolt with both sides launching massive air strikes against each other.

Also Read: Trump threatens to cut Musk's govt contracts as their public feud escalates

Offer of political asylum

However, Medvedev is not the only Russian leader who has decided to waddle into the Trump-Musk feud. Earlier, Russian lawmaker Dmitry Novikov said, if required, Musk could seek political asylum in Russia, adding that he thinks Musk has a “completely different game.”

"I think that Musk has a completely different game, that he will not need any political asylum, although, if he did, Russia, of course, could provide it," Novikov told the Russian News Agency TASS.

He also said that in the last few years, Musk has formed a "a kind of political communication” which would ensure that so "individual disagreements will remain separate disagreements".

Novikov also said that Musk, at this stage, would not want the Democrats to make a comeback to the White House. “Therefore, there are tactical differences, and there are strategic things, and he will adhere to them, it seems to me," he added.

Also Read: Musk calls Trump’s big tax break bill a ‘disgusting abomination’; Republicans react

The fallout

The relationship between Musk, the largest donor to Trump’s presidential campaign, and Trump has soured considerably after the Tesla chief criticised Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” alleging that it would increase the federal deficit.

The ties between the two deteriorated further on Thursday when Trump threatened to cut the former Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) chief’s government contracts. The US President on Thursday said he was “very disappointed with Musk.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.” Musk responded on X saying “Go ahead, make my day.”

(With agency inputs)