Russian leader Vladimir Putin took a moment to praise Elon Musk — Tesla and SpaceX founder — on Tuesday while attending the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Musk’s recently disclosed decision to deny Ukraine’s request to use the Starlink satellite system against the Russian invasion has become the subject of international controversy.
“Elon Musk … is undoubtedly an outstanding person. It must be admitted. I think the whole world admits it. He is an active, talented businessman,” Putin gushed on Tuesday.
Putin tossed in a jab that some of Musk’s success is thanks to “the support of the American state.”
Reuters pointed out that Putin is not the only Russian leader to praise Musk since the controversy over Starlink broke out. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hailed Musk as “the last adequate mind in North America.”
The Starlink debate began when a new biography of Musk from author Walter Isaacson claimed the billionaire ordered his…