Vladimir Putin Lauds Elon Musk as a Genius as Russia Develops Starlink Rival
Russian President Vladimir Putin praises Elon Musk as a genius while Moscow develops its Rassvet satellite network to rival SpaceX's Starlink.
POLICY WIRE — Moscow, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin praised American technology billionaire Elon Musk as a real genius on Wednesday, acknowledging that Moscow is currently working to deploy its own domestic alternative to the Starlink satellite internet network.
Putin made his remarks during an exhibition visit on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, where officials presented him with a satellite from the fledgling Rassvet constellation. While SpaceX operates a massive global network featuring more than 5,000 Starlink satellites, the Russian counter-project has only launched upward of 30 spacecraft so far.
The Russian leader emphasized that Moscow must significantly expand its domestic orbital efforts, particularly because Ukrainian forces heavily rely on Starlink for vital battlefield communications. This strategic dependence has pushed Russian authorities to accelerate their catch-up trajectory in space-based internet infrastructure.
During the appearance, Putin also noted that Moscow maintains close contact with the United States regarding various space matters. This interaction follows closely on the heels of the restoration of Starlink and Starshield operations in Ukraine.
Putin has previously expressed admiration for the entrepreneur, having labeled him outstanding in September 2023 after the businessman acknowledged blocking a Ukrainian request to activate Starlink service. State-owned media outlet TASS also reported that Putin described the tech billionaire and Donald Trump administration adviser as a rare visionary while speaking to students at Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
