Link: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20261028-putin-hails-elon-musk-as-truly-a-genius

Moscow (AFP) – US tech tycoon Elon Musk is "truly a genius" for deploying thousands of satellites into orbit, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, as Moscow seeks to develop its own satellite internet network.

The American tech titan is the owner of SpaceX, that launches rockets for NASA and runs the Starlink communications network.

Russia, a spacefaring power, has long sought to develop its own satellite internet constellation for both civilian and military use.

Putin's comments come amid a spat between Ukraine and the United States over access to Starshield, a military-grade satellite network powered by Musk's SpaceX.

"Elon Musk is a genius, truly a genius," Putin said while touring an exhibition on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.

"He has how many units in orbit...? More than 5,000. And we're taking our first steps," he added.

"We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr. Musk, because it is crucial in orbit not to interfere with one another."

Ukraine began reporting problems using Starshield this month, following a row between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over a US-Russia diesel deal.

Both Trump and Musk denied being responsible for the outages, although Musk later accused Ukraine of misusing SpaceX's Starlink internet service for military purposes.

Ukraine says the outages have frustrated its efforts to intercept Russian drones and has slowed its logistics on the front line, as the Ukraine-Russia conflict grinds through its fifth year.

They are all dumb as fuck

Putin is completely deranged by dreams of being a great man leading Russia to greatness, Elon is constantly blitzed out of his mind by ketamine and insane fanboys stroking his ego.

Both have far, far too much money which is causing (and please excuse my bad translation) divitiae cerebri putrescunt, weath brain rot, a psycological condition causing you to believe that you can throw money at every problem.

Putin praising Musk should tell you everything you need to know about both Putin and Musk.

He can have him and his ideas. Let them try and recreate all the stuff Elon has bought... the idea guy but none of the actual engineers that made them all happen.

Even Jobs understood he wasn't the one making the products they sold.

Remember though that Putin also profits from sowing dissent. I think the part “[…] because it is crucial in orbit not to interfere with one another.“ could also be a threat.

Just to clarify: I am not defending Musk and having Starlink become a crucial component in the hands of someone like him (or even under control of the US) is bad. But I absolutely would not take anything Putin said at face value and always assume there is an agenda behind it.

Nothing is true until the kremlin denies it, so the opposite is probably also accurate

So Putin is an ignorant dumbass. Who knew?

Idk, i think he just needs starlink.

He's not even the idea guy. He's the I'm going to take your ideas and pretend like they're mine guy.

Most idiots say that

Putin claims to be in Ukraine fighting Nazis and saving the world. Interesting that he embraces a Nazi now.

No, he just knows how to easily manipulate a narcissist.