Musk backlash

Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven't yet, sign up here.First there was Tesla-Scham, Germa

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Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven't yet, sign up here. First there was Tesla-Scham, German for the embarrassment of owning one of Elon Musk's electric vehicles. Now a backlash is brewing against his satellite-internet system Starlink. The billionaire's abrasive interventions into politics and his outsized role in shaping US policy in his capacity as senior adviser to President Donald Trump is having a real-life impact on his businesses, prompting governments from Italy to Poland to reconsider their dependence on his technology. Musk's endorsement of the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party saw a collapse in Tesla sales in the country where they are made just outside Berlin. In spite of her friendship with Musk, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is getting cold feet about a potential Starlink deal given how the US is pulling away from its commitment to European security. Poland is not the only US ally feeling queasy after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's berating in the Oval Office. Warsaw pays for Ukraine's Starlink terminals, and was offended by Musk's weekend comments that the "entire front line would collapse" if his network was switched off. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggested an alternative supplier might be necessary. The spat on Musk's X platform escalated. A Starlink antenna at a front line position near Pokrovsk, Ukraine. Photographer: Pierre Crom/Getty Images Europe Musk went further, saying separately that the US should exit the NATO military alliance. These kind of comments force the hand of many European leaders. One unintended consequence is that it threatens to accelerate an arms race, with Poland the latest country to signal it may want nuclear weapons. Can Trump rein in the world's richest man, and his biggest political donor? To what extent is Musk freelancing, and how much control does Trump even have over him? A reported Cabinet showdown over Musk's influence hints at the tensions within the administration. The question is at what point Musk's usefulness to Trump tips over into liability — and vice versa. —  Flavia Krause-Jackson

Global Must Reads

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss the timing and scope of an initial ceasefire with Russia, after several days of intense pressure by the Trump administration on Ukraine including the suspension of military aid and intelligence assistance. Trump said yesterday that the US has largely lifted the freeze on intelligence sharing with Ukraine, adding that he believes Zelenskiy will sign an economic agreement on natural resources.  Mark Carney won the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada's next prime minister, putting the former central banker in charge of the country just as Trump threatens its economic future. The 59-year-old ex-Goldman Sachs banker landslide victory yesterday in a vote for the Liberal leadership is a realization of a long-held ambition, and yet-another instance in which seismic global events have given him a springboard to power. Mark Carney. Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg Romania banned far-right candidate Călin Georgescu from its presidential election, triggering street protests and risking the wrath of the Trump administration. Georgescu, the front-runner, has 24 hours to appeal to the Constitutional Court, which canceled his victory in the previous vote in December, prompting criticism from US Vice President JD Vance last month. A new Gaza ceasefire deal under which Israel would recover all hostages held by Hamas is possible within weeks, a US negotiator said after holding rare direct talks with the Palestinian militant group. Meanwhile, Israel halted its already limited supply of electricity to the war-wracked enclave, a move the government called a response to the hostage crisis. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor party secured a morale-boosting victory in an election in the nation's largest state, enhancing his chances of a come-from-behind win in a federal vote that must be held by May 17. Western Australia's Premier Roger Cook won a clear majority, defying predictions of a voter backlash after eight years in office. Anthony Albanese. Photographer: Rohan Thomson/Bloomberg Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa formed a committee to investigate fighting that killed hundreds of civilians after armed men the authorities said were affiliated to the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime attacked multiple security sites. Trump said he was negotiating with four different possible buyers for TikTok's US business and that a deal for the social video app could come "soon." Schools in Beijing will introduce artificial intelligence courses to primary and secondary students to strengthen China's goal to dominate the sector. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from prison after prosecutors complied with a court decision to overturn the arrest of the leader impeached for his shock martial law declaration. Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter for news from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television.

Chart of the Day

Chinese retaliatory tariffs as high as 15% on a range of US agricultural goods took effect today, ratcheting up the trade war between the world's two biggest economies. While China remains a key export market for largely Republican states in the Midwest farm belt, Beijing's efforts to reconfigure supply chains after Trump's first term have weakened Washington's leverage.

And Finally

The US transformed itself in the span of about seven years into the world's largest supplier of liquefied natural gas, and is set to further expand production capacity. By the end of the decade, almost 1-in-3 tankers carrying the superchilled fuel will originate in the US, giving Trump his best chance to attain the energy dominance he's promised. As a result, no matter what the US president does to alienate traditional allies, his unorthodox moves aren't hurting demand for American-made natural gas.  A large LNG transport ship docking in Yantai, China, last month.  Source: Cfoto/DDP/Zuma Press Thanks to the 17 people who answered the (trickier than usual) Friday quiz, and congratulations to Elaine Milbank, who was first to correctly identify Iran as the country whose economy minister was removed in a parliamentary vote as criticism mounted of the government over its handling of economic woes and a sharp currency depreciation.

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