The address at Gostiny Dvor in central Moscow is taking place just over two weeks ahead of the presidential vote in Russia, in which Putin is running for reelection.
President Vladimir Putin has said that the West intends to do to Russia what it did to Ukraine and many other nations ā turn it into a dying, failed state.
The Russian leader, who spoke in a keynote address on Thursday, at the Federal Assembly, a gathering of leading Russian officials and public figures, said the West, “which has colonial habits and is used to igniting national conflicts all over the world, has intentions that go beyond stalling our development.”
āIn place of Russia, they want a dependent, withering, dying space, where they can do whatever they want,ā he added.
According to RT, Putin said the Russian people and their national unity in the face of foreign threats is what protects the nation.
“We will not allow anyone to interfere in our domestic affairs,ā the president vowed.
The address at Gostiny Dvor in central Moscow is taking place just over two weeks ahead of the presidential vote in Russia, in which Putin is running for reelection.
The Kremlin typically doesnāt announce the exact issues which the speech is going to touch upon. Putin said earlier that āgiven the domestic political calendar,ā itāll be dedicated to setting tasks for the country for the next six years.
Approximately a thousand people have been invited to hear Putinās message in person, including lawmakers from the State Duma and the Federation Council, government ministers, governors, religious leaders, foreign diplomats and journalists. Servicemen who have taken part in the fighting against the Ukrainian forces, are also among the guests, as in the previous year.
Putin predicted that despite all the efforts of the West to crush the country economically, Russia could soon surpass Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world.
Peoplesmind