Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Russian President turned 73 last week.
The Russian President turned 73 last week.
What is happening?
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest public address has drawn criticism for being disjointed and unclear, despite earlier claims from his press secretary that it represented a “conceptually new approach.”
Viewers and analysts found little substance in the speech, which was marked by vague jokes and a lack of concrete information.
Latvian colonel: Putin seems to be showing signs of age
Igor Rajev, a reserve colonel in the Latvian Armed Forces, didn’t mince words in his assessment.
Speaking on TV24’s “On the War in Ukraine with Igor Rajev,” he suggested Putin is “probably getting old,” noting that the speech lacked new ideas and was overall difficult to follow.
Odd humour in a time of war
Rajev recalled one particularly baffling moment when Putin was asked why Russia had attacked Denmark with drones.
His answer? That he simply wouldn’t do it again.
The moment left many viewers puzzled, questioning the seriousness of the Russian leader’s tone during a major address.
A notable absence of facts and figures
In contrast to previous state addresses, Putin’s latest speech was devoid of the usual statistics, growth charts, or even basic economic data.
Rajev joked that this could be because Russia has “nothing to be proud of,” highlighting a sharp departure from earlier attempts to project strength through numbers.
No real military achievements to boast about
According to Rajev, Russia currently lacks the military success needed to back up grand political narratives.
Despite offensives on multiple fronts in Ukraine, only in the Sumy region have Ukrainian forces made gains.
However, even that area has lost strategic relevance, he notes.
Recycled rhetoric on a ‘multipolar world’
Putin repeated familiar themes, including the claim that the world is no longer unipolar and that the United States has lost its leadership position.
Rajev pointed out that these are not new ideas but part of an ongoing narrative that offers no fresh insight.
Empty threats aimed at NATO
The only notable tone shift came in the form of restrained threats directed at NATO.
Putin questioned the alliance’s strength, saying that if Russia is a “paper tiger,” then what does that make NATO, which has failed to defeat Russia despite its power?
Russia vs. the West: An old storyline
Putin’s framing of the conflict remains unchanged. He continues to argue that Russia is not at war with Ukraine alone but with the entire Western world, NATO included.
Rajev interprets this as part of a larger propaganda effort to rally domestic support and paint Russia as a global underdog.
A speech lacking direction and clarity
Overall, Rajev summarised the address as both directionless and unoriginal.
Rather than delivering a clear message or policy shift, Putin offered little more than vague humour and recycled talking points.
A conceptually “new” speech that said nothing new
Despite claims from Kremlin officials that this would be a groundbreaking speech, Rajev and other observers found nothing of substance in it.
The speech may have been pitched as innovative, but in reality, it was simply another display of muddled messaging from Moscow.
The ongoing question of Putin’s health
Ever since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian President’s health has been a matter of speculation with several experts and analysts suggesting, Puting might actually be deadly ill.
However, it is all rumours, and military intelligence has even said that the health of the Russian President might actually be “too good”.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
