While Russian lawmaker Dmitry Novikov suggested Russia could provide asylum to Musk, the Kremlin has strategically distanced itself from the controversy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explicitly declined to comment on the dispute, stating, "This is a domestic issue of the United States, and we don't intend to interfere. We're confident the US president will handle this situation on his own."12 This careful positioning allows Russia to maintain diplomatic neutrality while individual lawmakers can still make provocative statements.

The asylum offer appears largely symbolic, reminiscent of Russia's previous sheltering of figures critical of Western governments, such as NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 and British blogger Graham Phillips.23 Meanwhile, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev took a more humorous approach, joking on social media that Moscow would broker peace between "D and E" (Trump and Musk) in exchange for Starlink shares.4

Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee and a Communist Party member, was the specific Russian official who floated the asylum offer for Musk. "If he did [need political asylum], of course, Russia could offer it," Novikov told the state-run TASS news agency12. However, he immediately downplayed the likelihood of such a scenario materializing, adding that Musk is "playing a completely different game and he won't be needing any political asylum"13.

The comments came in direct response to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's inflammatory rhetoric, who had called Musk "an illegal alien" who should be deported from the United States and advocated for government seizure of SpaceX under the Defense Production Act45. This exchange highlights how quickly the Trump-Musk fallout escalated from policy disagreements over Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" to personal attacks and threats involving immigration status, government contracts, and even national security implications23.

Former Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin made a direct appeal to Elon Musk on social media, inviting him to Russia amid his fallout with Trump. "Elon @elonmusk, don't be upset! You are respected in Russia. If you encounter insurmountable problems in the US, come to us and become one of us — a 'Bars-Sarmat' fighter," Rogozin wrote on X, adding, "Here you will find reliable comrades and complete freedom of technical creativity."12

The BARS-Sarmat reference is particularly significant as Rogozin currently heads this special technical military combat battalion operating in occupied Ukraine.3 Originally established as a volunteer detachment, BARS-Sarmat was recently reorganized into the BARS-Sarmat Unmanned Systems Special Purpose Center, focusing on drone warfare and technology testing for the Russian military.45 Musk responded to the Russian overtures with only a laughing emoji, seemingly amused by the situation while Russian officials continued to mock the high-profile American feud.2