Russia’s annual Putin extravaganza was cancelled last year, so this was the Russian president’s first combined news conference and nationwide phone-in since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As such, it was always going to be observed with particular attention for what it might say about the state of Russia, the state of the war – and the state of Putin. And the runes would be read just as keenly by the audience inside Russia as they inevitably were from abroad.
Let’s take the state of Putin first. Nearly four hours in, and 20 minutes or so before the Kremlin spokesman began to draw proceedings to a close, the 71-year-old president was giving no sign of flagging. He was delivering as commanding a performance as I have seen him give on such occasions He exuded confident authority, combined – when he so chose – with geniality. He seemed at ease in a way that he rarely had done immediately before and in the early stages of the war.
As always, no question was too trivial or too local; he gave the impression of being at least as interested in those highlighting small regional issues as those asking about great affairs of state. He was his customary well-briefed and articulate self. From the reasons for the fluctuating rouble to the state of particular rural hospitals, to the rate of inflation in Argentina and why Russia should have invested more in its own aviation industry, rather than rushing to buy foreign planes, he never faltered, save maybe accidentally-on-purpose in response to one question which I will come to in due course.
