Putin's State of the Nation Address on the 29th... Will He Mention Navalnyi Before the Presidential Election?

Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his annual state of the nation address to the parliament on the 29th (local time), the Kremlin announced on the 20th.

On the 17th (local time), a photo of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny placed near the Russian Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, was covered with bouquets from mourners. Navalny, considered the biggest rival to President Vladimir Putin, died on the 16th while imprisoned in a Siberian prison. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Putin, who is running for a fifth term in next month's presidential election, is expected to highlight the positive aspects of national development in this speech, which comes about two weeks before the election. According to the constitution, the Russian president must deliver an annual address to the Federal Assembly outlining key domestic issues and foreign policy directions.

First, he is likely to provide an assessment and objectives regarding the Ukraine "special military operation," now entering its third year. Another point of interest is whether he will mention opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly in prison on the 16th. There is significant criticism of the Russian government both domestically and internationally. President Putin has not yet issued a statement regarding Navalny's death.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=Yonhap News]

In his state of the nation address on February 21 last year, President Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the United States. This speech was Putin's first state of the nation address since the special military operation began in February 2022, and he criticized Western countries for being responsible for the Ukraine crisis.