Vladimir Putin will give a state of the nation speech on Thursday. Shortly before the elections and in the middle of a conflict in Transnistria, he provides political guidelines. You can read Putin’s most important statements here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West about a supposedly “real” threat of nuclear conflict. The Kremlin chief is reacting to French President Emmanuel Macron’s move to not rule out the use of Western ground troops in Ukraine.
Putin warned the West against deploying troops in Ukraine: The consequences of such a step would be tragic, said the Kremlin chief. According to Putin, things have not ended well in the past. This is probably a reference to World War II, when Nazi Germany fought against the Soviet Union on Ukrainian territory. Putin threatened that Russia has weapons that could hit targets in western territory. At a Ukraine conference in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron recently discussed the deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine. Here you can read more about it.
Putin also acknowledged problems facing the Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine. The army gained “huge combat experience” during the war of aggression, Putin said on Thursday in his State of the Nation speech in Moscow. The “latest technology” is used at the front. But we also see problems, says Putin. “Of course we have problems,” said the Kremlin chief, according to the translation. Work on this is progressing.
Putin: “Together we can do anything”
Russia has been waging its war of aggression against Ukraine for two years. The Kremlin chief claimed that this war had not been “started”. In fact, Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. There had previously been fighting between the Ukrainian armed forces and Russian-backed militias in Donbass since 2014. In the same year, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in violation of international law.
Putin commemorated the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. The country looks with pride at the event and what it has achieved. “Together we can do anything,” Putin said. Russia will not allow anyone to interfere in its internal affairs.
According to Putin, Russia’s war of aggression is supported by the “absolute majority of the population.” In his address to the Federal Assembly – the State Duma and the Federation Council – he thanked citizens and entrepreneurs for their support in the “special military operation.” The people work in three shifts to meet the needs of the front. He called for a minute’s silence for the fallen. Since the beginning of the invasion, there have been repeated protests by war opponents in many parts of the country. Russian security forces have always brutally suppressed these attacks.
Conflict in the Moldovan region of Transnistria
On Wednesday, pro-Russian separatists in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria appealed to Moscow for “protection” from the Republic of Moldova. Transnistria borders directly on Ukraine and is already supported by Russia with around 1,500 soldiers. Here you can read more about it. The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to this on Wednesday afternoon: “Protecting the interests of the residents of Transnistria, our compatriots, is one of the priorities,” it said. They want to seriously examine the “request”. Putin is also expected to address this issue in his State of the Nation address.
It is considered certain that Putin will be confirmed in office for the fifth time in the presidential election scheduled for March 15-17. The opposition is not allowed. His fiercest opponent to date, Alexei Navalny, will be buried this Friday. The Kremlin critic died a few days ago in a prison camp in the Arctic Circle. The cause of death is officially unknown. Here you can read more about it. Putin has not yet addressed Navalny in his speech.
19. Speech by Kremlin Chief Putin on the state of the nation
In his speech broadcast on state television, the president traditionally speaks primarily about the current situation in Russia, the economy and social policy. It will be Putin’s 19th State of the Nation Address. These groundbreaking performances set the major political guidelines for Russian society.
Putin last gave the State of the Union address in February 2023 and announced the suspension of the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty. He skipped the speech in the first year of the war.
This article is continually updated.
