Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Patrick

Watch Putin make his state of the nation address ahead of first anniversary of Ukraine war

GRIGORY SYSOYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

Vladimir Putin gave his state of the nation address on Tuesday, 21 February, to Russia’s parliament.

The address, which set out aims for the second year of his invasion of Ukraine, came three days before the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the war.

It also came a day after Joe Biden made a surprise trip to Kyiv in which he promised to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

There was no official Russian response to the US president’s visit, but state television ran headlines describing how the Volodymyr Zelensky was “paid a visit by ‘his master”, perpetuating false Kremlin propaganda that Ukraine is controlled by the West.

In his address, Putin spoke to members of both houses of the Russian parliament in Moscow.

He sought to reassure Russia’s political and military elites on the Ukraine conflict and share his analysis of the international situation.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.