Russia: Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin has praised tech billionaire Mr. Elon Musk as an “outstanding person” and businessman whose SpaceX company has become an important player in the space transportation industry.
The statement comes days after the South African-born and United States-based entrepreneur stated that he refused a Ukrainian request last year to activate his Starlink satellite communication network in the Russian-annexed Crimean port city of Sevastopol to aid an attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Mr. Must commented that he feared complicity in a “major” act of war.
Mr. Putin, speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, did not refer to the Starlink controversy. But when asked about the success of Mr. Musk’s SpaceX company in launching rockets into space, the Russian leader was full of praise.
“As far as private business and Elon Musk are concerned, he is undoubtedly an outstanding person. This must be recognised, and I think it is recognised all over the world. He [Musk] is an active and talented businessman, and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state,” Mr. Putin remarked.
Ukrainian officials have criticised Mr. Musk’s decision to protect the Russian fleet from attack by Ukraine, and US Democratic Party Senator Ms. Elizabeth Warren has called for an investigation of the Tesla owner’s actions. In a post on X last week, Mr. Musk noted that he had no choice but to reject an emergency request from Ukraine “to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol,” without giving the date of the request.
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