Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly praised Elon Musk, comparing him to one of the most important figures in Soviet space history, Sergei Korolev.
At a student event focused on Russia’s space goals, Putin called Musk a rare visionary. “Such people rarely appear in the human population, charged with a certain idea,” he said, according to Russian state media TASS.
Putin went further, saying that even if Musk’s obsession with Mars seems “incredible” now, ideas like his “are often realized” over time. He described Musk as “absolutely crazy about Mars.”
Korolev, the man Putin compared Musk to, was the mastermind behind Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 mission—the first human spaceflight in history. In Russia, Korolev is considered a national hero.
This isn’t the first time Putin has praised Musk. Back in 2023, just days after reports that Musk refused to let Ukraine use his Starlink satellites to strike Russian ships in Crimea, Putin called him an “outstanding person.”
Musk reportedly blocked the use of Starlink because he didn’t want to be part of a “major” act of war—a decision that sparked outrage among Ukrainian officials.
Later that same week, Putin publicly praised SpaceX. “As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned… he is undoubtedly an outstanding person,” Putin said. “This must be recognized, and I think it is recognized all over the world. He is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state.”
Musk, once seen as a strong supporter of Ukraine during the early days of Russia’s invasion, has since taken a sharp turn. He’s criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, downplayed U.S. aid to Ukraine, and used his platform X (formerly Twitter) to push anti-Ukraine messages.
In March, after X was hit by a cyberattack, Musk blamed Ukraine. He then called a U.S. senator who had visited Kyiv “a traitor.” He’s even mocked Zelensky’s calls for help and suggested the Ukrainian leader should be replaced in elections.
In February 2023, during a widely publicized interview on X (formerly Twitter) with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Putin commented on the billionaire’s substantial influence.
“There’s no stopping Elon Musk, he’s going to do what he thinks he needs to do,” Putin stated, implying that understanding Musk’s motivations could be beneficial for diplomatic relations.
Putin’s admiration for Musk comes as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO continues to drift further from his earlier support for Ukraine.
