Mobilization, declaration of war – or nothing? Confusion about expected Putin speech

Vladimir Putin visits St. Petersburg.

Reason enough for experts to expect a big announcement.

There was already talk of mobilization and a declaration of war – but then nothing happened.

Moscow – The powerful of the world are currently meeting in Davos at the World Economic Forum.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyj will also speak there.

However, the meeting in Switzerland did not have the sole attention in terms of global politics.

One eye was also squinted at Russia, more precisely at St. Petersburg.

Vladimir Putin was there on Wednesday – and fueled high expectations.

Putin speech?

Experts believe in a big announcement in St. Petersburg

Putin visited the Russian metropolis on the 80th anniversary of the end of the siege of Leningrad.

The renowned experts of the "Institute for the Study of War" (ISW), who regularly share their assessments in the Ukraine war, suspected in advance that the Kremlin boss could make a big announcement there.

Citing military bloggers, they assumed that Putin could announce another major mobilization or even an official declaration of war on Ukraine.

In St. Petersburg, at any rate, this great speech did not take place.

Instead, he visited an armaments company.

He also met veterans of World War II.

He once again defended the war against Ukraine as a fight against "neo-Nazis".

The 70-year-old accused the leadership in Kyiv of worshiping the Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera (1909-1959), who helped Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, as a hero.

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In St. Petersburg, Putin gave a statement in an armaments factory.

The expected big speech didn't materialize at first.

© IMAGO/Ilya Pitalev

Confusion about alleged Putin speech: Suddenly his plane is already on the way back

The President also said that since 2014 Russia has been trying to resolve the war in eastern Ukraine peacefully.

That wasn't possible.

"As it turned out, we were being fooled, cheated." In truth, the opponent wanted to lead the conflict into a hot phase.

Russia's goal now is to end the war in Ukraine through the "military special operation".

Moscow had no choice, Putin claimed.

And what about the awaited big speech?

Probably nothing, at least not live in St. Petersburg.

As several media reported unanimously, Putin's plane was already on its way back to Moscow in the afternoon German time.

At the same time, of course, this does not mean that there could be no speech at all.

The speech may have been pre-recorded.

If this should be the case, however, nothing is known about a broadcast date.

Vladimir Putin: The political career of the Russian head of state in pictures

Vladimir Putin: The political career of the Russian head of state in pictures

Meanwhile, one of Putin's ministers announced plans to increase the military.

There is also a new task for the mercenary group Wagner.

List of rubrics: © IMAGO/Ilya Pitalev