Putin Praises Musk, Compares to Soviet Engineer Korolev

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly praised Elon Musk, comparing him to Soviet space pioneer Sergei Korolev, the chief engineer behind many of the Soviet Union's early space achievements. Speaking to students at Moscow's Bauman Technical University, Putin highlighted Musk's obsession with Mars and described him as an 'outstanding person' driven by visionary ideas that may seem impossible but often become reality over time. Putin noted that individuals like Musk, who are deeply committed to ambitious goals, are rare and likened Musk's Mars ambitions to Korolev's groundbreaking work in space exploration. The praise comes as Russia expresses interest in potentially collaborating on Musk's Mars mission, proposing to contribute advanced technologies. The context of these remarks includes ongoing Russia-Ukraine tensions and broader shifts in US-Russia relations. Musk, as head of SpaceX and a prominent advisor to Donald Trump, has also been critical of Ukraine, adding further complexity to the geopolitical backdrop.