During a visit to Buryatia, Vladimir Putin toured the workshops of an aircraft manufacturing facility in Ulan-Ude. After inspecting the unit assembly area and observing the conveyor lines for the Mi-171A3 and Ka-226.54 helicopters, the President of the Russian Federation spoke on the country’s current socio-political situation and the path ahead.
On the notion of a fight for survival
Discussing the military operation in Ukraine, Putin described Russia as fighting for the people who live on Russian land. He framed the conflict as a matter of national survival during what he called a special military operation, insisting that the state must endure through present and future challenges.
He asserted that Western nations have a single aim: to destabilize and fragment Russia, a view he said had become clear over the past decades. This, he stated, was not about geography but about ensuring the country’s future and the wellbeing of its children.
Putin also remarked that from the Western perspective, the Ukraine situation is merely a shift in geopolitical dynamics. He emphasized that Russia is a multinational nation, and that residents from new regions are part of the Russian people, no different from others there.
He urged citizens to show discipline, strength, and unity. In his view, peace and stability move closer if society remains resilient, calm, and internally cohesive, so that external pressures see a firm, united nation.
Regions, development, and time management
Putin announced a plan to allocate 150 billion rubles from the state budget by 2030 for the development of Ulan-Ude, with priorities including housing construction. He stressed that housing alone is not enough; the region must grow in all directions—social infrastructure, kindergartens, schools, vocational facilities, sports and cultural centers—so that life improves comprehensively.
He acknowledged that people increasingly seek better opportunities away from certain regions and stressed the need to create promising jobs to retain talent. The Far East should become an attractive place to live, study, and work, with a focus on improving the quality of urban life and ensuring a safe, comfortable environment.
Regarding defense industry scheduling, Putin noted that the Ministry of Industry and Trade submitted a list of priority occupations to the Ministry of National Defense. The decision now rests on internal discussions within the defense ministry to determine which areas require active development of human resources and which measures to implement.
On recent history
Putin argued that after the Soviet collapse, Western states established fifth columns in the post-Soviet space to advance their geopolitical aims. He claimed that internal repression began to unsettle Russia and that international terrorism spread across several regions, particularly in the North Caucasus, in response to these tensions. He suggested that the Soviet Union’s internal stability was eroded as global geopolitics shifted, despite hopes that a bipolar order would endure.
Nevertheless, he asserted that Russia’s foundational stability remains stronger than previously thought, even as the external environment changed.
On Ukraine
Putin said Russia has long sought a peaceful settlement for Donbass and has patiently pursued dialogue with partners who consider themselves part of the Russian world. He argued that the new Ukrainian leadership began cracking down on pro-Russian activists after 2014, with public figures and journalists killed in the street and violent incidents remembered as poignant chapters in the recent past.
He noted that Moscow has continuously hoped for normal relations with a modern Ukraine, acknowledging that many in Ukraine share Russian linguistic and cultural ties. Still, he added that authorities in Kyiv moved away from that approach, complicating cooperation and mutual understanding.
On the economy
Putin claimed that since the onset of conflict in Ukraine, Russia’s GDP declined by about 2.1 percent, while Ukraine’s GDP fell by roughly 40 percent. He argued that Russia did not experience the projected collapse and that production has shown growth in the months that followed, with a couple of periods of more notable decline in early 2022. He described a gradual return to expansion and highlighted a modest decline in real wages and real incomes, which he attributed to broader economic dynamics, while maintaining a positive overall trend.
He expressed that the past year has strengthened Russia’s economic sovereignty, noting that the country has become more independent financially. Putin praised the Bank of Russia, the government, and major financial institutions for safeguarding the nation’s financial system and ensuring stability for the long term. He concluded that the current economic framework has grown sturdier, more autonomous, and capable of evolving from within.