Ukraine’s Zelensky says Elon Musk will send more Starlink systems
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke to Elon Musk via video conference on Saturday, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO promising to send more Starlink systems to the country amid the Russian invasion.
“I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds,” Zelensky tweeted.
According to the president, next week the country will receive more systems to connect to the Starlink satellite internet constellation, operated by SpaceX.
Starlink became active in Ukraine last week after Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov requested it in an open letter to Musk. The stations were needed “to address sane Russians to stand,” Fedorov said.
Despite the ongoing fighting, Zelensky said he also “discussed possible space projects” with Musk during their conversation on Saturday.
The embattled Ukrainian leader posted a video on Instagram of himself sitting in front of a laptop and talking to the world’s richest man.
In the clip, Zelensky invited Musk to come to Ukraine, saying: “after the war you’re very welcome.” The entrepreneur responded that the idea “sounds good.”
Russian forces attacked Ukraine last Thursday to “denazify” and “demilitarize” the Kiev government, which Moscow accuses of “genocide” in the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
The move was met with widespread international condemnation, especially in the West, and more sanctions against Moscow. Musk also faced calls for Starlink to block Russian media, but the entrepreneur has outright rejected them.
“We will not do so unless at gunpoint. Sorry to be a free speech absolutist,” he tweeted on Saturday.
