Accessibility links

Breaking News
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address in Moscow on February 20.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address in Moscow on February 20.

Live Blog: Putin's State-Of-The-Nation Address As It Happened

President Vladimir Putin has delivered his annual address to parliament as polls show trust in the Russian leader is at near record lows.

-- Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered his annual address to parliament as polls show trust in the Russian leader is at near record lows. The speech lasted a little under 90 minutes.

The highlights were:

-- Putin said "our missiles will target the United States and not just countries where their missiles are stationed."

-- Putin calls for a raft of measures to lift up Russian families and promised Russians better living conditions “within this year.”

-- Putin said the country can now invest “colossal” resources in its development, using money “earned, not borrowed.”

09:24 20.2.2019

Editor in chief of Russia's state-funded RT network suggests boosting the population by giving citizenship to people living in areas of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

09:22 20.2.2019

Says many of those living in poverty are pensioners, broken families, families with many children, families where a member has a serious illness.

09:22 20.2.2019

Says overcoming the demographic crisis and rising mortality rates means combating poverty.

09:21 20.2.2019

A skeptical voice here:

"Every year Putin delivers an address about stability, the rising income of citizens, and other achievements of the superpower. And the ungrateful people for some reason continue to get poorer and poorer."

09:20 20.2.2019

In focus, at start of Putin's speech: His immediate accent on domestic issues. But will a Western-directed diatribe also fit in?

09:20 20.2.2019

Says Russia must eliminate shortage of spaces in nursery schools entirely.

09:19 20.2.2019

Calls for eliminating VAT for construction companies building residential and public buildings.

09:19 20.2.2019

Calls for making it easier for families to get mortgages to build their own homes on their own land, instead of just for buying existing homes.

09:16 20.2.2019

Current policy only subsidizes mortgages for first three to five years. Putin calls for extending them for the entire life of the mortgage.

09:15 20.2.2019

Calls on Central Bank to help reduce mortgage rates for families with more than one child.

Load more

XS
SM
MD
LG