Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised South African-born entrepreneur Elon Musk, calling him an “excellent man” and businessman whose company SpaceX has emerged as a major player in the space transportation industry.

That public praise from Putin came days after Musk said he rejected Ukraine’s request last year to activate the Starlink satellite network over the port of Sevastopol, Crimea, to aid in an attack on the Russian fleet, explaining that he was afraid that he would become an accomplice in an “important” war action.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also praised Musk in a post on Platform X for his decision, which Ukrainian politicians have heavily criticized him for.

Putin, speaking at an economic forum in the Russian Far East, did not mention the issue of Starlink, but was asked about the success of the company SpaceX and replied: “As far as private business and Elon Musk (…) is concerned, he is undoubtedly an excellent person. We have to recognize that, and I think the whole world recognizes that. He is an active and talented businessman and has achieved a lot, with the support of the American state.”

The Russian president said Moscow plans to continue its own space program, despite the failure of its moon mission last month.