Putin Canceled His Address To The Federal Assembly
- 25.12.2025, 11:08
This is the second such case since the beginning of the war.
Putin does not plan to address the Federal Assembly in 2025, Vedomosti reported on December 25, citing the Russian ruler's press secretary Dmitri Peskov. This is the second time since 2022 that Putin will not address senators and deputies.
Peskov did not give the reasons for Putin's refusal to address. He cited the fact that canceling the announcement of the address is Putin's personal decision. The Kremlin official noted that the address would take place "in a timely manner."
"Once the president deems it necessary, it will take place - both in terms of content readiness first and foremost, and in terms of the working schedule," he said.
When exactly the address is scheduled is unknown. An official close to Putin's administration told Vedomosti that preparations for the event could begin closer to the State Duma elections, which are scheduled for the fall of 2026.
The Address to the Federal Assembly is the Russian leader's annual address to parliament (the Federation Council and the State Duma). According to the country's constitution, the president must make such an address annually. However, there is no liability for violating this obligation, notes vot-tak.tv.
In his messages, the Russian president is supposed to speak about the state of affairs in the country and the direction of the state's policy - both domestic and foreign. In itself, a presidential address does not have any legally binding significance. However, based on its results, parliament often drafts certain laws to implement the president's instructions.
The past presidents of Russia, Boris Yeltsin and Dmitry Medvedev, have never missed this address. Traditionally, it was announced in the Kremlin. In 2018, it was held in the Manezh, and after that it is held in the Gostiny Dvor in the center of the Russian capital.
In contrast to Yeltsin and Medvedev, Putin has not delivered the address twice. The first time he did not address parliament in 2017: then he pushed the address to March 1, 2018 - three weeks before the elections. The second time Putin canceled the address already after the start of a full-scale war with Ukraine in 2022.