Zelensky Awards Order of Freedom to Elon Musk

· novinite.com

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded the Order of Freedom, one of the country's highest state honors, to American entrepreneur Elon Musk, according to a presidential decree.

The decree, No. 835/2026, names Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, as a recipient of the award.

"The Order of Freedom shall be awarded to Elon Musk, entrepreneur, engineer, and head of SpaceX and Tesla, United States of America," the decree states.

According to the document, Musk is being recognized for his outstanding personal contribution to protecting human life and freedom, as well as to strengthening relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the United States.

The award comes amid continuing questions over Musk's position on Ukraine's use of Starlink, the satellite communications network operated by SpaceX.

The Atlantic previously reported, citing associates of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, that Musk had refused to allow Ukraine to use Starlink for strikes against targets on Russian territory. According to that report, Musk believed the time had come for Ukraine to reach a peace agreement with Russia.

Despite those reported disagreements over the use of Starlink in the war, Zelensky's decree formally recognizes Musk's contribution to Ukraine and US-Ukrainian relations.

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