Putin Calls Musk a Genius as Elon’s Starlink Moves Turned Ukraine’s Connectivity Into a Flashpoint
Putin praises Musk’s expertise
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk on Wednesday, calling him “a real genius,” according to a BBC translation of Putin’s remarks. He also said he was in close contact with American partners, including Musk.
Putin said contact with Musk was important to keep Russia’s Rassvet satellites and Starlink from interfering with each other in orbit. Russia’s embassy said the country maintains close contacts with the United States on space, including with Musk.
Ukraine faces Starlink disruption
Ukraine has relied on Starlink internet during its efforts to keep Russian forces at bay. Last week, the Ukrainian military suddenly experienced connectivity problems with the service. Musk acknowledged that SpaceX had intentionally caused the disruption. The article also reports that Trump waived certain sanctions against Russia that were due to take effect.
Musk’s business ties to America
Musk was born in South Africa, immigrated to Canada and later settled in the United States. His businesses, including Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink, are based in America. Most of those ventures operate out of California and Texas.
Key points
- Putin praised Musk and said the two sides are in close contact about satellite technology.
- Russia has only a couple of dozen Rassvet satellites in orbit, compared with roughly 13,000 Starlink satellites.
- Ukraine’s military experienced Starlink connectivity problems, which Musk said SpaceX caused intentionally.
- Musk’s businesses, including SpaceX and Starlink, are based in the United States.