Praise is usually welcomed no matter who utters it, but for Vladimir Putin, who he calls a towering figure and a brilliant businessman, that may not be the case these days. The Russian president paid tribute to Elon Musk, just days after it was revealed that Elon Musk prevented a Ukrainian drone from sinking a Russian warship in Crimea.
Putin made the remarks while discussing Russia's space program at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Putin said: "As far as private enterprise is concerned, Elon Musk is undoubtedly an outstanding figure. I think this will be recognized throughout the world. He is an active and talented businessman."
A few days ago, an excerpt from Elon Musk's biography of the world's richest man stated that Musk secretly ordered Starlink engineers to shut down satellite communications near the coast of Crimea in 2022 when Ukrainian submarine drones approached the Russian naval fleet. for a surprise attack. The SpaceX boss is said to be worried that Putin will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine in response.
Musk later posted about the incident on the former Twitter platform X. He said Ukrainian government authorities made an urgent request to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol, with the apparent intention of sinking the Russian fleet. "If I agree to their demands, SpaceX will clearly be engaging in significant acts of war and escalation of conflict."
Putin noted how Musk has been doing business with the support of the U.S. government and that Russia is "willing to develop" support for the country's private businesses.
Last month, Russia launched its first lunar lander in 47 years to explore the lunar poles. After a 10-day journey to the Moon's South Pole, the LUNA-25 lander encountered an unknown problem while trying to start its pre-landing orbit, causing it to crash on the lunar surface. Despite the failure of LUNA-25, Putin promised to continue exploring the moon. He also reminded the audience that other global space programs have failed in the past.
"Of course it's a pity that the moon landing failed. But that doesn't mean we're going to end the program," he said. "We will continue to work."
Last year, Musk faced accusations of sympathizing with Russia after he released a "Ukraine peace plan" poll. Musk has also previously proposed a duel with Putin over the future of Ukraine.
Musk may be used to receiving praise from unwelcome sources. Back in July, senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani praised Twitter for its commitment to free speech and blasted Meta for its "intolerance policy."