Zelensky awards Musk Ukraine's Order of Liberty as Kyiv seeks Starlink access over Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky cited Elon Musk's "contributions to the protection of human life and freedom, and the development of relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the U.S."
On August 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine honored U.S. billionaire Elon Musk with Ukraine's Order of Liberty through presidential decree. Zelensky recognized Musk's contributions to human life and freedom protection and the strengthening of ties between the Ukrainian and American peoples. This award comes as Ukraine seeks approval to use Starlink technology on drones operating within Russian territory.
The Ukrainian government aims to leverage Starlink-enabled drones to disrupt Russian ballistic missile launchers and diminish Russia's ability to strike Ukrainian cities. Zelensky explained that expanding Ukraine's access to Starlink could potentially reduce the strategic advantages Russia enjoys in prolonging the war. However, Musk has been hesitant to permit Starlink terminals to operate over Russian soil, viewing it as an escalation of the conflict.
Despite this stance, Zelensky indicated that Musk might reconsider his position in the future, as reported on August 22.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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