Overview
- The annual speech to the Federal Assembly is required by Russia’s constitution, making a no-show an unusual break from practice.
- Kyodo’s Moscow dispatch, carried by Japanese outlets, attributes the likely skip to focus on the Ukraine invasion and developments involving U.S. President Trump, including nuclear-testing signals.
- Vedomosti reported on November 6 that preparations for the address were not underway, citing sources close to the presidential administration.
- Putin’s most recent annual address was delivered in February 2024 and served as a platform to outline policies ahead of the March election.
- The published items offer no on-the-record Kremlin confirmation, and the Japanese articles carrying the report are behind subscriber paywalls.