Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded tech mogul Elon Musk as an exceptional entrepreneur, with his SpaceX firm playing a pivotal role in space transportation.
Putin’s public admiration for Musk came shortly after the entrepreneur, originally from South Africa and now based in the United States, disclosed that he had declined a Ukrainian request to activate his Starlink satellite communication network in the Russian-annexed Crimean city of Sevastopol. This request was made to support an attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet, but Musk refused, expressing concerns about being involved in a significant act of war.
While speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, Putin did not directly address the Starlink controversy. However, when asked about SpaceX’s accomplishments in launching rockets into space, he showered Musk with praise.
“As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned… he is undoubtedly an outstanding person. This must be recognised, and I think it is recognised all over the world,” Putin said.
“He [Musk] is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state,” he added.