Putin Sets Major Address for Feb. 6, Officials Say
- President seen outlining economic-policy goals for next term
- Kremlin weighs hikes to social spending amid slow recovery
Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address at the Kremlin in Moscow.
Photographer: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to make his annual state-of-the-nation speech to the legislature on Feb. 6, laying out plans for the fourth term he’s expected to win easily in March, according to two officials familiar with the preparations.
Though Putin announced his candidacy in December and staffers have been working on his program for months, he so far hasn’t presented details of his vision for what its likely to be his final term in office. In recent days, officials have provided some hints of a shift in budget policy to boost spending on health, education and infrastructure that would be the biggest increase in such outlays since his last campaign in 2012.