President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine congratulated Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX for bringing Starlink satellite internet to the war-torn country. Parts of Ukraine have been impacted, and communication lines have been severed as a result of the conflict with Russia. Ukraine President Zelenskyy can be seen in a video on Instagram on a video conversation with Musk, thanking the billionaire for his efforts. The President of Ukraine even goes so far as to urge Musk to visit Ukraine once the war is done. Musk responds that once the battle is done, he plans to “visit” the country.
Ukraine President Zelenskyy also sent out a tweet thanking Elon Musk’s SpaceX project Starlink for bringing the
internet to Ukraine. Starlink intends to provide internet services directly via satellites rather than through wired lines, as other telecoms do. In theory, Starlink internet can be deployed in locations where wired connections are difficult to come by. “I spoke with Elon Musk,” President Zelenskyy remarked. I appreciate his comments and actions in support of Ukraine. We’ll get another round of Starlink systems for devastated cities next week. Possible space initiatives were discussed. But after the conflict, I’ll talk about it.”
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation asked Musk to expand Starlink internet in Ukraine during the war with Russia in February 2022. Fedorov wrote in a scathing tweet that Musk wants to colonize Mars as Russia invades Ukraine. Musk answered within 24 hours, stating that his Starlink services have been launched in Ukraine.
