Russian President Vladimir Putin’s alluded decision to postpone his annual address to the Russian Federation Assembly indicates that he remains uncertain of his ability to shape the Russian information space as his war plans in Ukraine continue to crumble, the Institute for the Study of War said in a Dec. 14 report.
The Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly of Russia is an annual speech introduced to the Russian constitution in February 1994, roughly equivalent to the U.S. President’s annual State of the Union address.
"Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin may deliver his address to the Federation Assembly in 2023 and called on Russians to stop "fortune-telling with coffee grounds" regarding the timing of the next address," the ISW notes, adding that the Russian withdrawal from Kyiv Oblast and northern Ukraine in April 2022 likely spoiled Putin’s plans to declare victory during the Federation Assembly address.
