Vladimir Putin delivered his address to the Federal Assembly on February 21. The address, initially scheduled for December 2022, lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes. Throughout his speech, Putin accused the West of war and promised support to the national economy, including the military sector, which, according to him, has not suffered from sanctions. The 7x7 media has summarized the president’s main statements.
What did he accuse the West of?
In the first part of his address, Vladimir Putin accused the West of "deploying secret bio-laboratories near our borders" and "turning a blind eye to political murders and persecutions by the Kiev regime." The president said that "over many centuries of colonialism and hegemony," the West has "got used to spitting on the rest of the world" and turned into "a symbol of total unprincipled lies.” According to Putin, pedophilia "is becoming a norm" in Western countries.
"The more long-range Western systems come to Ukraine, the further away from our borders we will push the threats," Putin said.
At the end of his speech, the president added that Russia was suspending its participation in the strategic nuclear arms treaty. The Defense Ministry and Rosatom must ensure readiness for testing nuclear weapons. However, Putin "promised" that Russia would not be the first to conduct tests.
What he promised the Russians
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To set up a special fund for the military, their families, and veterans of the special operation. The fund will pay for medical, psychological, and other assistance. The fund's operations will be transparent, "without red tape and bureaucracy.”
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To launch a program of subsidies for workers in the defense industry to rent housing;
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To start a program that will stimulate investments into the economy from people’s long-term bank savings.
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To establish insurance coverage of 2.8 million rubles ($37,400) for voluntary pension savings.
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To expand the ports of the Black and Azov Seas.
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To supply natural gas to schools, hospitals, and medical institutions.
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To cut income taxes, if the company buys Russian IT software.
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To take steps to decriminalize economic transgressions.
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To increase the minimum wage by 18.5% to 19,242 rubles ($257) in 2024.
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To Increase the social tax deduction for children's education from 50 to 110 thousand rubles ($1,470), for personal education and health care needs from 120 to 150 thousand rubles ($2,000).
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To replace bachelor and master programs in universities with specialist programs.
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To hold elections in 2023 and 2024, "in strict accordance with the law and in compliance with all constitutional procedures.”
