The decree identified Musk as an “entrepreneur, engineer, head of SpaceX and Tesla,” and tied the award to “outstanding personal merits in protecting people’s lives and freedom, and developing relations between the peoples of Ukraine and the United States of America.” The Order of Freedom is Ukraine’s highest civilian honor for nationals of another country.

Musk’s SpaceX shipped Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine in the early stages of the war, keeping the country online after invading Russian forces damaged and destroyed the country’s terrestrial internet infrastructure.

On February 1, Musk cut Russian forces off from Starlink access at the request of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Russia had been accessing the service without authorization, and the cutoff disrupted Russian battlefield communications.

According to reports, Russian forces had deployed Starlink-equipped first-person-view attack drones that used real-time video feeds to mount increasingly precise and deadly strikes. The cutoff has been credited with disrupting Russian battlefield communications and impeding Russian advances.

Musk has publicly criticized Zelensky in numerous instances and questioned Ukraine’s approach to the war, including the military’s use of Starlink. He has argued the satellite network should be limited to communications purposes and not used to mount long-range strikes deep inside Russia, which he said risked escalating hostilities.

“For now, Musk has said that this would be an escalation. But he may change his mind when he sees more arguments,” Zelensky told journalists at the weekend.

The Order of Freedom places Musk alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda among recent recipients of the same honor.