NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has requested an investigation into a recent Wall Street Journal report indicating that SpaceX founder Elon Musk has been in “regular contact” with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022.

The report suggests that Musk has discussed various topics, including personal matters, business, and geopolitical tensions with Putin.

“I can’t confirm the accuracy of that story, but I believe it warrants investigation,” Nelson stated in an interview with Semafor’s Burgess Everett.

He added that if it is true that there have been multiple conversations between the Space X founder and the Russian president, it would be particularly concerning for NASA, the Department of Defense, and various intelligence agencies.

In the past year, some US officials have expressed counterintelligence concerns regarding Musk’s interactions with US adversaries, including Russia.

Several White House officials were reportedly unaware of Musk’s communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the Wall Street Journal noting that knowledge of such discussions seems to be a closely guarded secret within the government. The newspaper cited multiple current and former officials from the US, Europe, and Russia who confirmed the interactions.

One specific instance highlighted in the report involved a request from Putin asking Musk not to activate his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan “as a favour to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.”