Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, as an "outstanding individual" and entrepreneur.
According to Euronews, Putin's commendation came shortly after Musk, who was born in South Africa and is now an American entrepreneur, publicly revealed that he had declined Ukraine's request to activate his Starlink satellite network in the port city of Sevastopol in annexed Crimea for an attack on the Russian fleet, citing concerns about involvement in a "major" military action.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also lauded Musk for this decision, which faced sharp criticism from Ukrainian politicians, hailing him as the "last reasonable mind in North America."
During his speech at the Eastern Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin did not directly mention the Starlink incident. However, when responding to a question about the successes of Musk's company, SpaceX, in launching rockets into space, he stated:
"As for private business, Elon Musk is undoubtedly an exceptional individual, and this is recognized worldwide. He is an active and talented entrepreneur, achieving many things, including with the support of the U.S. government."
Putin affirmed that Moscow intends to continue its space program despite the recent setback in its lunar mission last month.
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