Putin: Western threats raise the risk of a nuclear conflict. Putin: The Russian army is advancing in Ukraine on several fronts.
This comes amid Russian talk about Moscow's success in making progress in the Ukrainian fighting axes. In his 2023 speech, Putin accused the West of using the conflict in Ukraine to "end" Russia, repeating his theory of accusing Western countries of supporting "neo-Nazi" forces in this neighboring country to strengthen an anti-Moscow state there. The address to the nation comes on the eve of the funeral of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16 in prison under mysterious circumstances.