– The West wants to weaken us from within – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

The Russian president delivers his annual speech, just weeks before he is likely to win the election easily.

Vladimir Putin began his speech by attacking Western countries, saying that the West wants to weaken Russia from within.

He says Russia should reinforce its western military regions with soldiers and weapons, as Finland and Sweden have become NATO members.

He claims that the West provoked the conflict in Ukraine, but now he is trying to say that Russia poses a danger to Europe.

– Putin said: – They must ultimately realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory.

The West invents things to scare the whole world. There is a real possibility that nuclear weapons will be used. This means destroying the whole world.

– Don't they understand that? Putin said: They have forgotten what war is.

Support for war

Our military divisions are making progress in several places, and are constantly liberating new areas. We are not the ones who started the war. I've said that many times. Putin said: We are doing our best to stop the war.

The president claims that most citizens support his decision to send thousands of troops to Ukraine two years ago.

Putin said that Russia will forever remember its fallen heroes, and asked for a minute of silence.

According to a Russian poll, the majority of Russians are still against the new mobilization Rossfeld.

Conducted a survey LevadaIt shows that three out of four Russians still support the invasion, but that undisputed support for the war has fallen from 53 percent to 39 percent.

Meanwhile, data from Rossiya Field and Levada show that more Russians clearly prefer peace talks to continuing the war.

Free admission

People flocked to the guest house near Red Square in Moscow. 1,300 guests are expected to attend when Putin delivers his speech on the state of the kingdom.

The speech is also being shown in cinemas in 20 Russian cities, and admission is free.

Vladimir Putin has strengthened his position, two years after Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Economically, Russia is stronger than many imagined.

Putin said in advance that his speech would necessarily address the 15-17 elections. He walks.

There are no real competitors.

Birth rates will increase

According to the National Security Strategy, population decline is the greatest security threat to Russia.

Putin stresses the importance of having children, raising them and passing on values ​​from generation to generation.

He explains that young people are postponing having children, and that over the next six years, Russia will ensure a strong increase in declining birth rates.

The president points out that one of the biggest problems is that families with many children often have low income.

It claims that 13.5 million people on low incomes had their living standards rise in the past year, and that families with many children should receive more support. It will cost the country more than eleven billion kroner.

-Stop drinking. Go skiing!

Putin explained that the average life expectancy in Russia is now 73 years, but he would like it to be higher.

Therefore, a project called “Long and Active Life” and the fight against cancer and diabetes is being planned.

As a measure to increase the number of people who exercise regularly, people who exercise will be able to obtain tax credits.

The message from the authorities is:

-Stop drinking, go skiing.

He informs Putin that the consumption of alcohol, especially spirits, is decreasing, and that this contributes to the health of the nation.

Statistics on previous speeches

Putin himself has delivered 18 of the 22 speeches given on the state of the kingdom since 2000.

Russian news agency TASS It gives us statistics from previous speeches, which can provide insight into potential messages in Putin's speech today.

An analysis of word usage shows that “state” is the most frequently used word, in addition to “Russia” and “economy.”

In the past year, the word “security” has been mentioned several times. In 2005, the word “democracy” was used 25 times, while it was not mentioned at all in four of the speeches.

Putin does not use the word “crisis” consistently in his speeches, but former President Dmitry Medvedev used it in 2008, a total of 17 times.

The speeches produce “action points” that must be followed up by ministries and others. Last year's speech resulted in 35 such “action points”, in 2021 67.

In 2022, there was no doubt about the state of the Kingdom. Putin's focus has been on the war, or the “special military operation” as he calls it.