Elon Musk is a 'real genius', Putin says after satellite talks with SpaceX boss

Vladimir Putin has a new compliment for Elon Musk: “a real genius.” The Russian president made the remark on Wednesday at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, while also saying he is in “close” contact with Musk about satellite technology.

The subject was not just flattery. Putin was talking about Rassvet, Russia’s own satellite internet project, and said Moscow needs to stay in touch with Musk so Rassvet and Starlink do not interfere with each other in orbit. “We and our American partners value this mutually,” he said, adding that the two sides are still working hard despite the politics.

Starlink, which is part of Musk’s SpaceX, is already far ahead in the sky. The company says it has launched roughly 13,000 satellites. Online satellite trackers show only a couple of dozen Rassvet satellites currently in orbit.

The Russian Embassy in South Africa called Rassvet “Russia’s Starlink alternative” and said it marks only the country’s first steps in the field. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

The timing is awkward, and not just because of the compliment. Ukraine has relied on Starlink in its fight against Russian forces, and last week its military had connectivity problems after Musk admitted SpaceX had intentionally caused them. Meanwhile, the US and Russia appear to be getting closer, with Donald Trump talking up a diesel deal with Russia and lifting certain sanctions that were due to kick in.