Zelenskyy awards Elon Musk Ukraine’s Order of Freedom
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, Ukraine’s highest order available to foreign nationals, according to a presidential decree published on Aug. 26.
The decree cited Musk’s “outstanding personal contributions to protecting human life and freedom” and to developing relations between Ukraine and the United States.
Musk’s SpaceX operates Starlink, the satellite communications system that has played an important role in maintaining connectivity in Ukraine and has been widely used by the Ukrainian military since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Earlier in 2026, SpaceX worked with Ukrainian authorities to restrict Russian forces’ use of Starlink terminals in Ukraine. A verification system was introduced under which only approved terminals placed on a “whitelist” could operate in the country.
The Atlantic reported that SpaceX told the Ukrainian team working on the system that there would be “no restrictions” on using Starlink for activities that helped Ukraine.
Musk, however, has continued to reject Ukrainian requests to expand the use of Starlink for long-range strikes inside Russia, according to The Atlantic, arguing instead that “it is time to make a deal” to end the war.
Musk has also faced criticism over an episode in 2022, when he ordered Starlink coverage restricted near the Russian-occupied Crimean coast as Ukraine was preparing an attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.