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Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver a highly symbolic State of the Union address to the Federal Assembly — or both houses of the country’s parliament — on Tuesday as the invasion of Ukraine approaches its first anniversary this week.
The attack, dubbed a “military special operation” within Russia, was expected to overthrow the Ukrainian government within weeks. Instead, Putin now faces the delicate task of justifying a war without victory.
The midday speech is aimed at a domestic audience and the focus will be on Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the state-affiliated TASS news agency. Putin omitted a similar speech to lawmakers last year.
It will be Putin’s first public statement after President Biden’s surprise visit to Kiev on Monday in a show of solidarity ahead of the anniversary that underscored the unity of Western allies behind Ukraine.
“Putin’s war of conquest is failing,” Biden said Monday in a joint statement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin has made incremental gains in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, but its grueling efforts have not yielded particularly symbolic victories like the capture of Bakhmut.
Typically, more than 1,000 guests attend Putin’s State of the Union address, including lawmakers, judges, regional administrators and religious leaders, Tass reported. This year, Putin has also asked veterans of his invasion to take part.
Putin, a tsar without an empire, needs a military victory for his own survival
The address comes exactly a year after Putin declared two eastern regions of Ukraine under the control of Russian proxies – Donetsk and Luhansk – sovereign states and falsely accused Kiev of committing genocide there and paving the way for war. In September, Putin illegally demanded the annexation of these regions and two others, Kherson and Zaporizhia, saying Russia would use all means at its disposal to defend them.
Putin, 70, is increasingly isolated and faces pressure from all sides. Many senior businessmen and officials are secretly convinced that the war was a mistake, even as hard-line nationalists have criticized Russian military commanders and urged a sharp escalation to crush Ukrainian resistance.
Recent polls reflect falling levels Support in Russia for continued fighting, while Western analysts estimate the war has killed tens of thousands of Kremlin soldiers and prompted a historic exodus from the country. Almost half of those polled said they were nervous or cautious about Russia’s future, he said the Levada Center, the country’s most respected social researcher, in February. Just over 50 percent support peace talks with Ukraine, the center found in a November poll.
Western officials have pledged heavier weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in recent weeks in anticipation of a spring Russian offensive. But the form of the war remains unclear, with no guarantee that Western public opinion will remain so Strongly pro-Kiev, the Washington Post reported.
War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The newest: President Biden paid a dramatic, unannounced visit to Kiev on Monday to demonstrate robust American support for Ukraine just four days before the anniversary of Russia’s all-out invasion. The risky visit to the historic Ukrainian capital signaled continued commitment from the United States, Ukraine’s largest financial and military donor. Biden will next visit Poland to discuss Western efforts to help Ukraine resist Russian invasion. Read the latest here.
The fight: Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure with rocket and drone attacks since October, causing frequent power, heating and water cuts in the country. Despite fierce fighting, neither side has made significant gains for months. Western allies agreed on a new wave of sophisticated weaponry, including Leopard tanks, in hopes it could change the balance of the battlefield.
A war year: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war has sparked a historic exodus of his own people, with data showing at least 500,000 and perhaps nearly 1 million have fled Russia since the conflict in Ukraine began. Despite this and extensive sanctions, the Russian economy has remained more resilient than many expected. However, there are signs that Putin’s luck is running out.
Photos: Washington Post photographers have been on the ground since the war began – here is some of their most impressive work.
How can you help: Here are ways people in the United States can support the people of Ukraine, and what people around the world have donated.
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Understanding the Russia-Ukraine conflict
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