On Thursday the 29th of February, President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state of the nation address, briefing the Russian people, MPs, government officials, military commanders and soldiers on the war in Ukraine, Moscow’s nuclear capabilities and relations with the West, two weeks ahead of the presidential election in which Putin is expected to win another six-year term by a landslide, reports Reuters.
In his address on the war in Ukraine, Putin stressed the unity of the Russian people and their loyalty to the country amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Putin said that “we did not start this war in the Donbass” and reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to ending the war while
eradicating what he called Nazism “to fulfil all the tasks of the special military operation”.
He also acknowledged the difficult challenges and losses of the war, underlining the “overwhelming majority” support of the “Russian people” for the “military operation”, and pledged to “protect the sovereignty and security of our citizens”.
Putin stressed the importance of the Russian political system as a pillar of sovereignty, expressing his commitment to developing democratic institutions and resisting foreign influence.
He criticised the West for colonial behaviour, accusing it of trying to impede Russia’s progress in order to replace Russia with a dependent, declining state “where they can do whatever they want”.
On dialogue with the US, Putin expressed Russia’s readiness for discussions on strategic stability, but rejected recent accusations of nuclear weapons in space as a trick to manipulate the talks in favour of the US.
Putin accused the West of provoking conflicts around the world,
including in Ukraine and the Middle East. He spoke of NATO’s threat to send troops to Ukraine and questioned the sense of such NATO action, stressing Russia’s ability to target NATO territories, in which case he warned of a possible conflict involving nuclear weapons that could lead to the “destruction of civilisation”.
He also expressed concern about the arms race with the West, stressing the need to develop the country’s defence industrial complex.
He stressed the increased combat readiness of Russian forces and their success in Ukraine, pointing to advances in strategic nuclear forces, hypersonic systems and other missile technologies.
Putin also acknowledged the persistent problems of poverty, particularly affecting large families, and announced plans to implement a new national project “Family” aimed at improving living standards and boosting birth rates.
Also read: Political expert says Putin is basically Hitler
Follow us on Facebook and X!