A good two years after the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against the deployment of Western troops and pointed out the danger of a nuclear conflict. The consequences of such a step would be tragic, Putin said in his state of the nation speech about the debate initiated by French President Macron on Western ground troops in Ukraine. Putin emphasized that Russia has weapons that could hit targets in western territory. An escalation could lead to a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and thus the “extinction of civilization.”
At the same time, the president dismissed claims that Russia wanted to attack the West as “nonsense.” Putin once again offered the US a dialogue on strategic security in the world if the US stopped aiming for Moscow’s strategic defeat, as he claimed.
Russian troops have recently made progress in Ukraine, even if the invasion is not progressing nearly as quickly as planned before the attack in February 2022. In his propaganda show, broadcast on television and even in some cinemas, Putin presented his view of the world. He thanked the support of, as he claimed, the “absolute majority of the population” for the “special military operation.” The people work in three shifts to meet the needs of the front. “Together we can do anything,” Putin implored the Russian people.
Before the election, Putin makes big announcements
The 71-year-old Putin has been holding the reins of Russian politics since the turn of the millennium. In just over two weeks he would like to be re-confirmed in office in the presidential election in March. Although no real opposition is allowed and his re-election is considered certain, many Russians in the largest country in the world complain about rising prices and high costs of living. Putin therefore announced greater financial aid from the state in various areas.
He pledged a trillion rubles (around ten billion euros) in new budget funds to modernize the healthcare system and announced a new national support program for families. Putin acknowledged that 13.5 million people in Russia still live below the poverty line. The financial situation is precarious for around 30 percent of large families. He demanded that this proportion should be reduced to twelve percent by 2030. Then Putin’s fifth term as president will end, which is why the speech to the nation was also seen as a presentation of his election program for the next six years.
To support families, Putin presented social mortgage programs, higher tax allowances for children and regional social programs that would be supported by the federal budget. The minimum wage should rise from the equivalent of 190 euros per month to 350 euros by 2030.
By improving the healthcare system and investing in sports infrastructure, life expectancy in Russia should increase from the current 73 to 78 years by 2030. For comparison: In Germany, according to official information, life expectancy for men is over 78 years, and for women it is even more than 83 years.