This will be the first address to the nation and both houses of Russian parliament – the Federation Council and State Duma – since the reelection of Vladimir Putin as the Russian president in March 2018.
Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed last Monday that work on the address has entered its final stages. The address will be broadcast by the main state channels online on 20 February starting at 12:00 Moscow time (9:00 GMT).
The Kremlin didn't announce the topics to be touched upon in the speech; however, senators and lawmakers expect this annual address to focus on social policy. This includes issues such as overcoming poverty, increasing life expectancy, increasing citizens' well-being, evaluating government work and fighting corruption, creating the conditions for economic development as well as a discussion of the international agenda.
Other topics that could be brought up are Russia's foreign policy, including the sanctions on Russia and the state of Russian military defence amid the withdrawal from the INF Treaty. Earlier in February, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo announced that the United States had suspended its obligations under the INF Treaty and triggered the six-month withdrawal process. The following day, President Putin said that Moscow had suspended its participation in the treaty in response to the actions of the United States.
Putin REVEALS What He May Do After…
