Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to deliver an address to the Federal Assembly in 2026. This was announced on 25 October by his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
According to Peskov, there are “no plans” to deliver an address before the end of the year. He added that Putin would address the Federal Assembly “when he deems it appropriate”.
Last year, Putin also did not address parliament with a State of the Nation address. The last time he delivered one was on 29 February 2024 — shortly before being elected to his fifth presidential term.
The President’s duty to deliver an address to the Federal Assembly is explicitly enshrined in the Russian Constitution. The Kremlin has not explained on what grounds Putin is deviating from this provision or why he does not wish to address the Assembly. Prior to 2025, Putin had skipped the address on two occasions: in 2017 — when he addressed the Assembly in early 2018, during the election campaign, but there was no second address that year — and in 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Peskov also reported that preparations are under way for Putin’s so-called major press conference and his ‘Direct Line’ programme. Both events usually take place in December.