Vladimir Putin traditionally takes stock of the past year and sets new directions for Russia. Putin appears in a better position than a year ago, writes Alexander Nekrassov.
The Russian president should engage in a full-blown attack on the West, he says. The speech comes on the eve of the funeral planned in Moscow of his main opponent, the anti-corruption activist Alexeï Navalny, who died on February 16 in prison in obscure conditions. The day before Navalny's funeral Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to discuss the themes of the speech.