Elon Musk is a “real genius”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday after revealing the two are in “close” contact about satellite technology.
The remarks came during the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, during which Putin discussed Russia’s own satellite internet project Rassvet, which provides internet connections to people from satellites.
“He’s a genius, a real genius,” Putin said of Musk, according to a translation of his remarks by the BBC. “We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr. Musk.”
Starlink is part of Musk’s company SpaceX. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Putin added that it was important for Russia to be in contact with Musk so Rassvet and Starlink satellites do not “interfere with each other in orbit”.
“We and our American partners value this mutually, and despite all the political questions, we are working hard,” he said.
Starlink has launched roughly 13,000 of its satellites, according to the company. By contrast there are only a couple of dozen Rassvet satellites currently in orbit, according to online satellite trackers.
The Russian Embassy in South Africa said on Wednesday Rassvet is “Russia’s Starlink alternative” and “marks only the country’s first steps in this field”.
“Russia maintains close contacts with the US on space, including with Elon Musk,” the embassy wrote.
Putin’s comments about Rassvet and Starlink were made as the US and Russia appear to be growing closer, even as it approaches five years since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine relied on Starlink internet in its efforts to keep Russia’s forces at bay. But its military last week suddenly suffered Starlink connectivity problems, something Musk has admitted SpaceX did intentionally.
US President Donald Trump earlier this month said he’d struck a deal with Russia to import diesel in an effort to lower gas prices that have skyrocketed due to the US war with Iran.
Then Trump waived certain sanctions against Russia that were set to take effect.
Not long after, a US citizen was released from Russian custody, with US envoy Steve Witkoff referring to Putin as a “humanitarian”.
Musk was born in South Africa and then immigrated to Canada before settling in the US. All of his business ventures, including Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink, are based in America, with most operating out of California and Texas.
The billionaire, and off and on again trillionaire, has been one of the biggest political allies and financiers of Trump and other Republican US politicians.
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