The Kremlin said on the 29th (local time) that it would not announce the format of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s New Year’s speech, local state-run TASS news agency reported.
Asked whether Putin’s televised speech had already been recorded and what it would be devoted to, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded, “You will find out about it on New Year’s Eve.”
Peskov was also asked to specify the main topic of his New Year’s speech, only mentioning “New Year.”
Every year on New Year’s Eve, the president stands in front of the Kremlin and gives a speech to Russians summarizing the results of the year. Last year, for the first time, President Putin gave New Year’s greetings to Russians, surrounded by soldiers at the Southern Military District Command.
Meanwhile, President Putin’s approval rating appears to be on the rise recently.
In a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center VTsIOM asking which politician they trust the most, the Russian public’s trust in Putin was found to be 80.0%, the highest figure this year.
This was followed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (62.9%), Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council Dmitry Medvedev (40%), Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov (32.6%), and Justice Russia Party leader Sergei Mironov (29.2%).
This survey was conducted on 1,600 adults living in Russia from the 18th to the 24th of this month.
Previously, in a survey by the same organization conducted 100 days before the Russian presidential election, Putin’s public trust was found to be 78.5%, and after declaring his presidential candidacy, it was on the rise, reaching 79.3%.
Voting for Russia’s presidential election will be held over three days from March 15th to 17th next year.
Putin has maintained real power as president or prime minister since taking over as acting president following the resignation of former President Boris Yeltsin on December 31, 1999. If he succeeds in winning a second term in next year’s presidential election, his term will be extended for another six years until 2030.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.