Invigorated by successes in Ukraine, Putin to address Russians
Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Thursday give his annual address to the nation, weeks before an election expected to hand him an easy victory as his troops make gains in Ukraine and the economy weathers Western sanctions.
Two years after he launched his assault on Ukraine, Putin’s position has improved.
Last year at this time, Russian troops were reeling from Ukrainian counteroffensives that pushed them back in northeastern and southern Ukraine.
But after a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 failed to bring similar results, today Kyiv has moved to defensive positions.
The initially strong Western support for Ukraine also appears to be shaking, with a $60-billion US aid package stalled in Congress.