Vladimir Putin praises Elon Musk as a genius during satellite talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk as a genius, according to reports by The Hill, the BBC, and Modern Diplomacy on October 28, 2026. The Hill and the BBC both reported that Putin revealed Russia has been in contact with Musk while the country works to develop a rival satellite internet network. [1][3][7]

The Independent, The Times, and LBC all reported that the praise from Putin followed reports that Ukrainian access to Musk's Starlink satellite internet network had been slowed down or restricted. Modern Diplomacy noted that Russia is attempting to play catch-up with the Starlink system. [4][5][6][7]

Musk is the chief executive officer and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX. Forbes estimates his net worth to be 1.1 trillion dollars as of October 2026, making him the wealthiest person in the world. [8]

In a separate diplomatic effort following its invasion of Ukraine and the resulting rift with Western nations, Russia has been seeking to increase its support across Africa, Deutsche Welle Europe reported. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has made increasingly frequent visits to the continent as part of what Russian officials describe as a historic return. [2]