The Ukrainian President has awarded American businessman Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of the country’s top honors, for his contribution to the defense of life and liberty.
In a presidential decree, Volodymyr Zelensky recognized the “exceptional personal merits in protecting human life and freedom and in developing relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the United States of America” of the entrepreneur, founder of SpaceX and executive chairman of Tesla.
Musk has played a relevant role in the conflict in Ukraine due to the use of the Starlink satellite communications network, operated by SpaceX.
At the beginning of the Russian invasion, the businessman provided Starlink terminals to Ukraine, allowing communications and internet access to be maintained in areas where conventional infrastructure had been affected by the fighting.
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More recently, Musk pressed to prevent the use of the system by Russian forces, which were resorting to Starlink communications, notably to support drone operations.
Created in 2008, the Order of Freedom honors Ukrainian and foreign citizens with special merits in defending the country’s sovereignty and independence and in promoting fundamental rights and freedoms.
Among the foreign leaders previously honored are French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish head of state Alexander Stubb, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was the first foreigner to receive the distinction.
The insignia of the Order of Freedom consists of a gold-plated silver cross, coated in white enamel and decorated with crystals, featuring the coat of arms of Ukraine in the center, with the characteristic trident (‘Tryzub’).
