Taking the “economy to new frontiers”
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the resilience of the Russian economy despite international sanctions in his annual address to the nation on Tuesday and highlighted “opportunities” for Russian companies.
“The aim of our work is not to adapt to current conditions. The strategic task is to take our economy to new frontiers,” the Russian president told political elites near the Kremlin.
“Now everything is changing, and very quickly. It is a time not only of challenges, but also of opportunities,” Putin said, welcoming the growing “independence” of the Russian economy from foreign markets.
“Everyone must understand: the sources of well-being, of the future, must be here, in the motherland, Russia,” he stressed. “Invest in Russia,” she pleaded.
Russia’s GDP contracted 2.1% in 2022, according to figures released Monday by Rosstat, far from the much more negative predictions of a few months ago, and the IMF now anticipates slight growth, of 0.3%, for 2023.
Putin also called for an increase in military-industrial production in the framework of the military offensive in Ukraine and announced the creation of a special fund to help the families of soldiers killed in combat.
Against same-sex marriages
“Look what [las autoridades occidentales] they are doing with their own towns: the destruction of the family, cultural and national identity, perversion and abuse of minors, even pedophilia, are declared the norm of life, and priests are forced to bless marriages between people of the same same sex”
Thank the Russian people
“I want to thank all the people of Russia for their courage. Our soldiers, the national guard, the workers, the volunteers, the patriots who are in the reserve. I want to apologize that during today’s intervention I won’t be able to name everyone,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
With information from Reuters and AFP