Strengthening armed forces and unity around war: Putin outlines key tasks for Russian society

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia will continue to significantly expand its military capabilities and urged the population towards full militarisation.

Source: Putin in a video address on the occasion of a Soviet-era holiday on 23 February

Details: Putin stressed his intention to continuously strengthen the combat capabilities of all branches of the Russian Armed Forces, with particular focus on modernising and developing new weapon systems, including elements of the "nuclear triad".

He also pledged to increase the forces' combat readiness and the ability to operate in "the most difficult conditions".

Putin described Russian soldiers, who are committing war crimes, killing civilians and destroying Ukrainian cities, as "true patriots" and "the pillar and support of the state", glorifying participants in the genocidal war and elevating them to a new elite within society.

In addition, the Russian leader declared 2026 the "year of unity of the peoples of Russia" around a "sacred duty".

"The ability to come together and achieve victory in the name of common goals exemplifies the tremendous strength of our army and our multiethnic society. It has been that way for centuries, and I am confident it will always be so," Putin said.

Given Russia's heavy losses in Ukraine, this rhetoric appears aimed at rallying the population around further aggressive plans, suppressing potential separatist sentiments in regions and justifying the continued use of ethnic minorities in "meatgrinder" assaults.

Overall, the speech contains no hints of peaceful resolution and is clearly intended to ideologically mobilise Russians with ideas of war, militarism and opposition to other nations.

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