Russia
Putin gives state of the nation speech before presidential election
It is expected that Vladimir Putin will, among other things, address Russia’s war aims in Ukraine during his speech. photo
© Russian Presidential Press Service/AP/dpa
In mid-March, President Putin wants to be elected for the fifth time. According to a newspaper report, he wants to spice up his election campaign with a state of the nation speech.
Kremlin leader Vladimir According to a media report, Putin wants to present his election program in a state of the nation speech before the presidential election in March.
The speech is expected to take place between February 23 and March 8, the usually well-informed daily Kommersant reported, citing four of its own sources. This year the election itself will run over three days from March 15th to 17th. In his speech, Putin would address Russia’s war goals in Ukraine, the country’s sovereignty, the economic and social situation and family values, the newspaper speculated.
Putin regularly comments on all of the topics mentioned. The statements usually serve to attack the West or to showcase Russia’s strength and its own successes. According to Kommersant, this year’s speech is also likely to have an election campaign character. The Kremlin chief traditionally avoids debates with other candidates.
The State of the Union address is a constitutionally mandated annual duty of the President. He holds them before representatives of the Federal Assembly, which consists of the State Duma and the Federation Council, the lower and upper houses of the Russian parliament. However, in 2022, in the first year of the war, Putin canceled it on the grounds of a very high “dynamic of events”. Last year he used the speech to suspend the New Start nuclear non-proliferation treaty.