Vladimir Putin asked Elon Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favour to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, security officials in the US and Europe believe.

A Wall Street Journal report said the richest man in the world has been in regular contact with the Russian leader since late 2022, citing several unnamed current and former officials in the US, Europe and Russia. The report does not say whether Mr Musk took any action in response to Putin’s request.

Starlink has emerged as a lifeline for Ukraine’s military as it attempts to maintain internet connectivity on the front lines in its conflict with Russia. At the start of the conflict, the company delivered 5,000 terminals to Kyiv with the help of the US Agency for International Development.

Mr Musk, who has regularly criticised the Wall Street Journal on X, the social media network he owns, has not yet commented on the reports. Neither Starlink nor SpaceX have responded to the claims.