Elon Musk Receives High Praise from Vladimir Putin Amid Starlink Controversy

Elon Musk received high praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the tech mogul's outstanding performance.

In his speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin expressed his admiration for the head of Tesla and SpaceX, stating, "Elon Musk... is undoubtedly an outstanding person. It must be admitted. I think the whole world admits it. He is an active, talented businessman," as quoted by CNBC from a Reuters report.

Putin Acknowledges Musk's Assistance to Russian Firms

Vladimir Putin also thanked the assistance received from the government, notably in the US, for Elon Musk's endeavors. The Russian president signaled Moscow's readiness to encourage a comparable level of assistance for domestic private companies.

The Russian leader emphasized the assistance previously provided to private companies in the framework of Russia's space initiatives, using the agency Roscosmos as an example.

These comments came after Russia's space program recently suffered a setback when its Luna-25 lander malfunctioned during the nation's first lunar trip in over five decades, highlighting the difficulties the Russian space agency is now facing.

Notably, India's lunar landing days after Russia's failed mission increased focus on Russia's space efforts.

Starlink Controversy

Elon Musk has been in the spotlight lately because of the way his business, SpaceX, handled the Starlink satellite communications network about the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Musk was accused of interfering in a 2022 Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea navy. He acknowledged turning down the Ukrainian government's urgent request to expand Starlink service to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014. The tech mogul expressed worry that the situation would worsen, saying that "then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation."

Starlink terminal usage in Ukraine overlapped with Russia's unprovoked invasion. The event prompted Western nations to provide Kyiv with artillery and air defense equipment.

Elon Musk's military satellite communication operations during the war between Russia and Ukraine made him famous. Some government officials have reportedly described Musk as an unelected official for his private control of a critical military asset, per The Street.

Walter Isaacson, Tulane University history professor, and Musk's biographer, says Musk's activities during the crisis helped him portray himself as a hero. In a Washington Post article, Isaacson stated, "The war in Ukraine, when no other company or even country could manage to keep communications satellites working, gave him a center-stage opportunity to show his humanitarian instincts while playing superhero."

Elon Musk's biographer also noted that the situation also displayed "the complexities of critical military infrastructure being controlled by an often well-intentioned but mercurial private citizen."

On Twitter, Elon Musk pushed for the end of the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Both sides should agree to a truce. Every day that passes, more Ukrainian and Russian youth die to gain and lose small pieces of land, with borders barely changing. This is not worth their lives."