Elon Musk called an 'agent' of Russia by TV pundits after Putin praises SpaceX CEO

Elon Musk has been praised by Russian state TV, with one presenter gleefully saying he “really is our agent”.

The Tesla and X CEO has thrown himself into the mix over his outspoken opinions about the invasion of Ukraine, saying Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin should strike a peace deal.

But amid reports claiming he intentionally shut off internet connection for Ukraine, he posted a meme mocking Zelensky’s pleas to the West for more funding.

While Musk was bashed for the post, Russian presenter Olga Skabeyeva seemed pleased with the world’s richest man’s support.

Musk’s post had a “strained face meme” with Zelensky’s face, with a caption that said “when it’s been 5 min and you haven’t asked for a billion dollars in aid”.

Skabeyeva, anchor of the program 60 Minutes, said the post showcased war fatigue in the US, as House Republicans allied with Donald Trump aim to cut Ukraine aid.

In front of a screen showing the meme, Skabeyeva told viewers on Monday: “It’s impossible not to notice that the West is getting sick not only of Zelensky but Ukraine as a whole.

“Elon Musk is magnificent, he is wonderful and perhaps he really is our agent.”

She also called the Tesla founder “Elon Moskal,” which means “Elon the Muscovite.”

In September, Putin himself praised Musk as an “outstanding person” after the Tesla CEO said he refused to let Ukraine use Starlink.

Last year, Kyiv asked Musk to activate his Starlink satellite network in the Crimean port city Sevastopol to aid an attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

Musk refused, and said: “There was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol.

“The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor. If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.”

While Putin did not explicitly note the incident, he did say: “As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned… he is undoubtedly an outstanding person.

“This must be recognised, and I think it is recognised all over the world. He is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also described Musk as “the last adequate mind in North America”.

Musk has also courted controversy as he pushed for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

Last October, he posted a poll asking followers if they agreed with his peace deal proposal, which included giving up Crimea, remaining neutral, and holding a referendum in annexed areas.

Musk said: “This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end — just a question of how many die before then.

“I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.”

According to Walter Isaacson’s biography ‘Elon Musk’, the CEO claimed SpaceX has spent tens of millions of its own money sending Starlink equipment to Ukraine.

The company told the Pentagon that they wouldn’t continue to foot the bill for the satellite gear, but when CNN reported the news, Musk said: “The hell with it … we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

According to Isaacson, Musk’s president at SpaceX Gwynne Shotwell was livid and said: “The Pentagon had a $145 million check ready to hand to me, literally.

“Then Elon succumbed to the bullshit on Twitter and to the haters at the Pentagon who leaked the story.”

The Pentagon later agreed to a deal with Musk to continue funding Starlink in Ukraine.

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