A former adviser toDonald Trumpsaid it's very clear thatTesla IncTSLA CEOElon Muskis transmitting a message for Russian PresidentVladimir Putin.

What Happened:Fiona Hillmade the comments in a Politicointerviewwhen asked about the role Musk is playing to promote peace settlements between Russia and Ukraine in theirongoing conflict.

Its very clear that Elon Musk is transmitting a message for Putin, said Hill, adding that the billionaire entrepreneur offered a version of what he recently tweeted at a conference in Aspen in late September.

Hill said what makes Musks intervention interesting is that Putin uses prominent people as intermediaries to feel out the political environment.

This is a classic Putin play. Its just fascinating, of course, that its Elon Musk in this instance because obviously; Elon Musk has a huge Twitter following. Hes got a longstanding reputation in Russia through Tesla, the SpaceX space programs and also through Starlink," she said.

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Why It Matters:Musk has denied claims that hediscussed Ukraine with Putin.

Putin plays the egos of big men, gives them a sense that they can play a role. But in reality, theyre just direct transmitters of messages from Vladimir Putin, Hill said.

Hill, who specializes in Russian and European affairs and is currently a fellow at theBrookings Institution,said Putin is basically short-circuiting the diplomatic process.

All of this is an effort to get Americans to take themselves out of the war and hand over Ukraine and Ukrainian territory to Russia.

This month, Musk ran a Twitter poll about his thoughts related to the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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