Russia’s President Wladimir Putin will be directed to the public late Tuesday evening/early Wednesday morning at 1 a.m. EST, 8 a.m. Moscow (MSK) time. The speech was originally scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. EST, but was rescheduled with no explanation.
What happened: The last time Putin addressed the country was on February 24, when he announced the invasion of Ukraine. Although the nature of this speech is not exactly clear, some are concerned that Putin will announce further mobilizations against Ukraine.
Kamil Galeyevan independent Russian researcher and journalist shared this thread Twitter: “Regarding mobilization, Putin can indeed explain it. But it will be a risky decision. The USSR maintained a massive infrastructure for total mobilization, which was mostly dismantled in post-Soviet Russia. Mobilization will rather cause political chaos. “
Why it matters: According to Forbes Russia, the speech is a recorded message, just like Putin’s speech in February.
The Kremlin announced it would hold referendums in four different areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops.
In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, which was under Ukrainian control. While there was technically a vote and Crimea’s citizens voted to join Russia, many experts did not see the vote as legitimate given that Russia had a large military presence in the region, similar to the four territories that will soon be over the referenda will vote.
According to the New York Times, some experts see Putin’s move as retaliation after Russian troops were forced to flee Ukraine’s northeastern region in Kharkiv. Regardless, Putin’s speech will have a major impact on millions of people around the world.
Photo: Shutterstock
