Russia is open to a proposal for President Vladimir Putin and Elon Musk to have an open conversation via the new social media app Clubhouse, the Kremlin announced Monday.
On Saturday, Musk, the richest man in the world, tagged Putin’s office on Twitter, asking, “would you like join me for a conversation on Clubhouse?”
In Russian, the Tesla CEO added, “It would be a great honor to speak with you.”
“In general, this is of course a very interesting proposal, but we need to understand what is meant, what is being proposed… first we need to check, then we will react,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday, according to Reuters.
“We want to figure it out first. President Putin does not personally use social networks directly, he doesn’t have them,” Peskov added.
.@KremlinRussia_E would you like join me for a conversation on Clubhouse?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 13, 2021
Clubhouse is a drop-in, audio-only social media platform that requires new users to be invited by people already on the app. Chat rooms allow users to have conversations on a virtual stage while an audience listens in. Audience members can come “on stage” by requesting the speakers invite them up.
The San Francisco-based app launched in 2020 and is currently valued at one billion US dollars, according to CNBC. (RELATED: Elon Musk Cheered For Threatening To Move California Locations, But Tesla’s Real Expansion Is In China)
Putin has expressed suspicion towards modern technology in the past, calling the internet a project developed by the Central Intelligence Agency.
The former KGB officer has hinted that he wants a Russian-controlled alternative to the internet, according to The Guardian.