Putin's 2021 Address to the Federal Assembly: 'Something serious is being prepared'

Russian President Vladimir Putin is to address the Federal Assembly on April 21, his press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. The venue of the event has not yet been disclosed.

The Kremlin normally does not announce the topics that will be voiced in the address, Peskov said. He earlier said that the address would focus on "the socio-economic and technological development of the country," and will certainly touch upon the topic of the upcoming elections to the State Duma (the Russian parliament).

In early March, Putin announced the start of his preparations for his annual address to the Federal Assembly. According to him, both the presidential administration and the government of the Russian Federation started working on it. Peskov then said that Putin would deliver his speech in person.

This week, President Putin will hold a meeting dedicated to the implementation of his last year's address to the Federal Assembly, Russia 1 TV channel reports. In 2020, Putin's announced the key point of his speech at the very end of the ceremony — he proposed holding a national vote to amend the Constitution. The amendments, one of which allows Putin to run for president for two more terms, were eventually approved.

In his 2021 speech, Putin may touch upon such topics as Russia's success in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and the speech itself will certainly affect the election plans of both the ruling party and its opponents.

Interestingly, Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, said in mid-March that Putin's Federal Assembly speech was "being rewritten for the fifth time."

"Something serious is being prepared, I believe" the politician said as quoted by RIA Novosti.

At the same time, RBC reported with reference to its sources that the message would contain "many social initiatives."