Four topics Putin might talk about
1. The situation in Ukraine
Friday marks exactly one year since Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine. According to the estimates of Western intelligence authorities, Russia has lost between 100,000 and 200,000 soldiers in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense has been silent about the losses.
President Vladimir Putin is expected to present a summary of the past year.
2. Russia’s economy and sanctions
When Russia started the war, Europe decided to break its energy dependence on Russia. In December, the Union imposed an import ban on Russian oil.
Oil and gas are Russia’s most important export products, so the Russian economy has suffered from stifled trade. Recently, Russia has been looking for new partners from the East, such as Iran and India.
3. Launching the business
Russia started a partial movement on September 21. At the end of October, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the quota for operational deployment has been met and 300,000 reservists have been recruited. However, the launch was never declared finished.
It has also been speculated that Putin will clarify the situation of motion submission. The president’s announcement on the expansion of the business proposal is considered unlikely, but not an excluded option.
4. The fate of the regions of eastern Ukraine
At the end of September, Putin declared the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of eastern Ukraine “part of” Russia. Demonstration-like “referendums” on joining Russia were organized in the regions.
In his previous speeches, Putin has questioned the existence of Ukraine as an independent state. According to Putin, Ukraine historically belongs to Russia.
Sources: Ria, Tass, MK, Izvjestija
Read more here:
Putin paints a picture of a completely normal situation – we know this from the speech that the Russian president will give today