Putin puts the West in its place and highlights new social and transport projects

On Thursday, February 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual Address to the Federal Assembly. In the beginning of the speech, he touched on the topics of the special military operation in Ukraine, relations with the West, strategic stability, and later proceeded to announce a number of new national projects, changes in economic and social sphere.

Photo: kremlin.ru is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

About special military operation

Putin recalled that 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the "legendary Russian Spring.”

"The love that the people living in Crimea and new regions share for their homeland evokes pride," Vladimir Putin said.

The President said that the absolute majority of Russians supported the special military operation in Ukraine. The Motherland defends its sovereignty and security, protects the lives of compatriots in Donbass and Novorossiya. The decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to Russian citizens, unity, devotion to their native country and responsibility for its fate,” he noted.

People send letters, parcels, warm clothes to the front, they also send money from their sometimes modest savings, the president said. According to him, this is a contribution that everyone makes to the overall victory.

"This help is priceless. Our heroes on the front line, in trenches know that the whole country is with them,” Putin said.

About the Russian Armed Forces

During the special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces gained enormous experience. This applies to all types and branches of troops, modern tactics and operational art, Putin said.

Combat capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces have increased many times, Putin said. He added that Russia would do everything to end the war in Donbass.

"We will do everything to finish it, eradicate Nazism, solve all the tasks of the special military operation, protect the sovereignty and safety of our citizens,” the Russian President emphasised. Then he announced a minute of silence in memory of the fallen military men.

"It was not us who started the war in Donbass. We will do everything to finish it, to eradicate fascism," Putin said.

The head of state said that the Russian political system of Russia was currently one of the pillars of the country.

About weapons

The president said the weapons that he had highlighted during his 2018 Address to the Federal Assembly either already entered service or were in a high state of readiness.

The head of state also said that Russia would soon demonstrate the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

"First serial heavy ballistic missiles were delivered to the troops. We will soon demonstrate them in our home base areas on combat duty,” Putin said.

The Zirkon sea-based hypersonic missile system was used in combat, and this system is in service, Putin said.

"The Zircon is already in operation, although it was not even part of the 2018 Address," he said.

Russian strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness, Vladimir Putin said.

The president stressed that Russia was ready for dialogue with the United States on strategic stability issues. Yet, the statements that US officials release about their interest in negotiations on this topic are part of pre-election empty rhetoric.

"We have every reason to believe that the statements that today's American authorities make about their alleged interest in negotiations with us is empty rhetoric on the eve of the US presidential elections. They just want to show their citizens, and everyone else, that they still rule the world,” Putin said.

At the same time, Moscow rejects a possibility of negotiations on strategic stability with Washington in isolation from Russian national security issues, the Russian President said.

The head of state warned in his speech that consequences for NATO interventionists would be much more tragic if they appeared in Ukraine.

"They talk about sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine, but we remember the fate of those who once sent their contingents to the territory of our country. Now the consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic," Putin said.

In this part of the speech, the president also instructed the government to increase funding for programs to promote the Russian language and culture abroad.

"First of all, of course, in the CIS, and in the world as a whole,” he clarified.

New national projects

The head of state announced the launch of a number of new national projects in 2024. Hundreds of billions of rubles will be allocated for these purposes, he added.

One of them is The Youth of Russia national project.

"I propose to consolidate positive experience in the field of youth policy and launch a new national project The Youth of Russia this year. This should be a project about the future and for the future of our country,” Putin said.

Another national project is Family:

"We need to work constantly to improve the quality of life of families with children and increase the birth rate. To do this, we will launch a new national project that we called Family," Putin said.

According to him, one of the measures within the project will be the allocation of at least 75 billion rubles until 2030 to regions where the birth rate was below the Russian average in the last historical period.

All measures taken by the state in this area must be effective and produce real results for Russian families, he added.

Another national project called Long and Active Life will be launched to achieve life expectancy of at least 78 years, and then reach the level of 80 and above, Putin said.

"Personnel” national project will be launched to help schoolchildren and students in their professional development, the president said. He called on the heads of enterprises, scientific and medical centres to invite schoolchildren to factories.

"Let kids see the workshops — that's what I was offered on one of my trips — factory museums, laboratories," the president said.

Putin announced yet another national project — Data Economy. The goal of the new project is to address problems arising from the development of digital technologies. As much as 700 billion rubles will be allocated for the project over six years.

About housing construction

"Last year, over 110 million square meters of housing were built in Russia. This is 1.5 times more than the highest indicator that was reached during the Soviet times, when 72.8 million square meters were built,” he said.

Over the past six years, millions of Russian families have improved their living conditions, more than 900,000 families could do it with the help of the family mortgage program.

About the social sphere

The family mortgage rate will remain at the same level for families with children under six years old, Putin said.

The minimum wage in Russia should almost double by 2030 to 35,000 rubles, the president said.

Putin also proposed extending the mortgage repayment program in the amount of 450,000 rubles until 2030 after the birth of a third child in the family. Maternity capital program is to be extended until 2030 while maintaining the basic parameters.

About Russia's future leaders

Veterans of the special military operation should take leading positions in society, education, state-owned companies, business and public administration, Putin said.

"Such people can lead Russia in the future," he said.

Special operation veterans will receive priority promotion in the Russian Armed Forces, the president noted.

In addition, participants in the special operation will be able to receive higher education and civilian professions at leading universities as a priority, he added. According to the president, participants of the special military operation living in the regions of the Far East and the Arctic will also be able to receive a preferential mortgage with a rate of two percent.

About transport projects

• M-12 Highway will be extended to Yekaterinburg in 2024, and to Tyumen in 2025, Putin said.
• Until 2023, it is planned to spend 250 billion rubles on the development of the airport network in Russia, Vladimir Putin said.
• The high-speed railway that will be built between Moscow and St. Petersburg, will stretch through Tver and Veliky Novgorod, Putin said. He also confirmed plans to build a high-speed railway to other cities, including Minsk.

"The first section between Moscow and St. Petersburg will run through Tver and our ancient capital Veliky Novgorod. Then we will build highways to Kazan, to the Ural region, to Rostov-on-Don, to the Black Sea coast, to Minsk in our brotherly Belarus, and to other popular destinations,” the head of state said.

The modernisation of the Moscow transport hub will continue. Moscow Central Diameters railways will connect Moscow with Yaroslavl, Tver, Kaluga, Vladimir and other regions as new high-speed railways will be built.

About healthcare sector

More than one trillion rubles will be allocated additionally for the construction and repair of healthcare facilities by 2030.