Russian leader Vladimir Putin gave his traditional state of the nation speech. Putin traditionally expresses his views on the current situation in Russia, the economy and social policy.
His performances are intended to provide the major political guidelines for Russian society. Putin last gave the State of the Union address in February 2023 and announced the suspension of the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty. He skipped the speech in the first year of the war in the Ukraine and called it a "special military operation" He repeated his claim that the West is trying to destroy Russia from within.