Putin takes aim at West with new array of Russian nuclear weapons that he says can't be intercepted
In a two-hour address that was expected to lay out a reelection campaign focused on domestic issues, Russian President Vladimir Putin instead used his state of the nation speech to boast about Russia's new nuclear weapons that he says are capable of bypassing any missile defense system.
Sounding off with Cold War-era rhetoric, Putin warned the West that the Kremlin would respond accordingly to any nuclear attack on Russia or its allies.
Putin presented the new weapons, in his annual address to the Federal Assembly, which includes both houses of Russia's parliament. As Putin stood at the podium, animated videos and graphics projected on the large screen behind him. The visuals were meant to illustrate the might of the new weapons which included a cruise missile, underwater drone and a hypersonic missile, all nuclear-powered.
The new weapons would make NATO's U.S.-led missile defense system "useless," Putin said as a video behind him showed a graphic of a missile weaving around supposed missile defense systems on a spinning model of the Earth.
During the last 15 years, other nations have fueled the arms race by trying to outdo Russia's weapons, he said. Russia's adversaries have placed sanctions on Moscow to hinder Russia's development, Putin said.
"All [that] you wanted to impede with your policies already happened," he said. "You have failed to contain Russia."
The new cruise missiles, which were tested in the fall, have unlimited range and the ability to operate at high speeds, allowing it to avoid any missile defense system, according to Putin.
"No one was talking to us. No one was listening. Now, you will listen," he said after nearly 40 minutes of tough talk about Russia's development of underwater drones, hypersonic warheads, and "menacing" intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Putin blamed the U.S. for refusing to cooperate and then withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
"At some point, it seemed to me that a compromise [on missile defense with the U.S.] could be found. But no," Putin said.
Because of this, Russia was forced to create new weapons to respond to U.S. actions that deployed missile defenses on the territory of other countries, he said. Putin was likely referring to NATO's defense systems in former Warsaw Pact countries Russia has said threatens regional stability.
"For the foreseeable future, it looks that the U.S.-Russia agenda will be limited to just one item: war prevention. Good luck to us all," Dmitry Trenin, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center, tweeted after Putin's address.
Striking a lighter tone, Putin announced a name-that-weapon contest for Russia's new cruise missile and an unmanned underwater drone. Participants can log onto Russia's Ministry of Defense website to enter their ideas.
"We are waiting for your responses," he said to audience applause.
With just three weeks until the March 18 presidential election, Putin's annual address was meant to outline his vision for the country for the first time since announcing his bid for reelection in December. Putin, who has been either prime minister or president since 1999, is running for his fourth term. With an 80% approval rating, he is expected to win easily and remain in power until 2024.
Until Thursday's speech, Russian voters have heard very little about the president's goals for the next six years. The outcome of the election all but guaranteed; the buildup to the vote has been met with very little excitement from the Russian public. Seven other candidates are competing for Putin's post, although none of them are considered to be in real opposition to the Kremlin.
Putin predictably focused the first hour of the speech on Russia's domestic issues, such as poverty reduction and improving the country's health and education infrastructures.
The annual national address has in the past been held at the gilded Kremlin Palace within the Kremlin's red-brick walls. Thursday's speech was relocated to the Moscow Manege, a 19th century exhibition hall just outside the Kremlin walls.
The audience included both houses of parliament, regional governors and members of the presidential cabinet and administration. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev sat in the front row close to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, whose presence in Russian politics had played a key role in Putin's nationalistic response to what the Kremlin views are Western attempts to undermine Russia's emergence.
On the domestic side, Putin's said he was focused on reducing poverty.
In order to keep up with fast pace of technical development and to protect its sovereignty, Russia should remove barriers to the development and use of robotics, artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies as soon as possible, Putin said.
The Kremlin leader said Russia's economic growth, which was 1.6% in 2017, should exceed the expected global level of growth of 3.1% in 2018.
"Achieving such growth rates should be a key way mark for the new government," Putin said, in what was one of the clearer signs of his plan for Russia's economy after election day.