The longtime Russia expert explains why Elon Musk, Vladmir Putin and Donald Trump are all talking to each other. The news of the past few weeks has included some developments that on their own could seem minor: Since he left office, Donald Trump has held a half-dozen phone calls with Vladimir Putin. Elon Musk is also talking regularly to the Russian leader. A couple of newspaper owners decided their newspapers’ editorial boards shouldn’t make an endorsement in the presidential election. But for Fiona Hill, the former Trump adviser who is one of the world’s top experts on Russia and Putin, these events create a worrisome pattern.