Vladimir Putin, comforted by Russian progress on the ground, delivers his speech to the nation today

Vladimir Putin is facing the nation. The Russian president delivers his traditional speech to the Russian people on Thursday, February 29, an annual summit during which he defines Russia’s priorities, two weeks before an uncontested presidential election. The Kremlin leader is scheduled to speak at 12 noon (10 a.m. Paris time) at the Gostiny Dvor convention center near Moscow’s Red Square. He appears in better shape than a year ago, when his army suffered a humiliating retreat in the south and northeast of Ukraine. Since then, the Ukrainian military has failed in its counter-offensive launched in the summer of 2023 and has found itself on the defensive, facing more numerous and better-armed Russian troops due to a lack of agreement in Washington. Follow our live stream.

Major advances on the Eastern Front. Russian forces managed to capture it in mid-February in the fortress town of Evdivka and continued its push into the region, much to the satisfaction of Vladimir Putin, who welcomed “An important victory”. This loss of the city is the biggest Ukrainian defeat since the failure of the counter-offensive.

The topics of the speech were kept confidential. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to discuss the contents of the speech, saying only that the president wrote it personally. Vladimir Putin, for his part, announced that he would take his speech “of course” Consider the presidential election to be held from March 15 to 17 and make it possible to set it “Objectives for at least the next six years”either The duration of the mandate of the head of state in Russia.

Transnistria seeks support from Russia. Authorities in this pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova adopted an official declaration on Wednesday “protection” Russia against the Moldovan government. According to the statement cited by Russian news agencies, the separatist authorities are asking Moscow “Implementing Measures to Protect Transnistria in the Face of Increased Pressure from Moldova”Especially “Economic Blockade”.