Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla and SpaceX, was hailed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as a "talented businessman."
Putin made the remarks while discussing Russia's space program during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, as reported by CNBC.
Putin claimed that Musk operates with the help of the American government. The Russian president continued by saying that Moscow is "willing to develop" support for domestic private companies.
According to Putin, Russia has previously carried out this for its space programs, which are managed by Roscosmos.
The remarks follow the failure of Russia's first lunar launch in almost 50 years, which occurred last month when the Luna-25 lander impacted the moon's surface.
Just days before India successfully made its first spacecraft landing on the moon, the failure was considered a severe setback for Russia's space program.
Read also: New Russian Malware Targets Ukrainian Military Devices, Seeks To Know Ukraine's Battle Plan
Starlink in Ukraine
Musk revealed this week that he turned down the Ukrainian government's urgent request to expand Starlink satellite service to Sevastopol in Crimea, which Russia illegitimately acquired from Ukraine in 2014.
Musk had declined because of fear that Russia might retaliate with a nuclear assault. In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and took control of Crimea, which it now claims as its own.
(Photo: by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - In this pool photograph distributed by Sputnik agency, Russia's President Vladimir Putin looks on during a meeting with members of the Alyosha T-80 tank crew in Moscow, on August 24, 2023.
When Musk declined the Crimea request, he was not working on a military contract; instead, he had been giving free terminals to Ukraine in response to Russia's invasion in February 2022.
The U.S. military has supported and formally contracted with Starlink for ongoing support, though, in the intervening months. Invoking operational security, the Pentagon has kept the specifics of the contract's terms and price confidential.
The Pentagon depends on SpaceX for much more than just the Ukraine response. The uncertainty that Musk or any other commercial vendor may refuse to provide services in a future conflict has led space systems military planners to reevaluate what needs to be explicitly spelled out in future agreements.
Early on in Russia's unjustified invasion of Ukraine, Musk's Starlink terminals came as Western nations worked to arm Kyiv with artillery and air defense systems.
The New York Times and the New Yorker report that government officials are still concerned about Musk's private ownership of such a crucial military asset, with some referring to him as an unelected official.
Musk kept limiting Ukraine's Starlink access near the front lines, which eventually sparked concern over financial obligations and support and led to a late-night phone call between Musk and Isaacson.
Related article: Elon Musk Admits Withholding Starlink Network Over Crimea to Prevent Drone Strike
