The hourlong call centered on what German officials said was a push to end the war in Ukraine. It was the first in two years between Mr. Putin and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The Pentagon needs what the company offers to compete with China even as it frets over its potential for dominance and the billionaire’s global interests.
The billionaire has reportedly been in regular contact with the Russian president, heaping more scrutiny on the power and influence the entrepreneur wields over the U.S. government.