Vladimir Putin had nothing but praise on Wednesday for SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk. The Russian leader described the world’s richest man as “a true genius,” Agerpres reports. Putin’s remarks came amid restrictions on Musk’s Starlink service in Ukraine. The system did not return to normal until Donald Trump personally intervened with Elon Musk.
“Elon Musk is a genius, a true genius. How many spacecraft does he have in orbit? More than 5,000,” the Kremlin leader said on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa summit taking place in Moscow on October 28–29, according to Russian news agencies.
Turning to Russia’s fledgling Rassvet satellite network, the Kremlin leader added, “We, too, are only just taking our first steps.”
Vladimir Putin also said that although Russia and the United States are competitors, they should not stand in each other’s way in space. “Both we and our American partners value this, and despite all the political problems, we work closely together,” he said.
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