Putin: The world must listen to Russia

The event of reading the federal message of Russian President Vladimir Putin began at 9:00 GMT (16:00 Hanoi time) on March 1. Attending the event were members of both houses of the Russian parliament and guests such as cabinet members, the head of the Supreme Court, the prosecutor general, and the chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), according toSputnik.

Opening his speech, President Putin mentioned Russia's success in maintaining stability and unity, overcoming the challenges Moscow has recently faced. He called for creating a creative environment in all areas for the people, otherwise Russia will miss out on the future.

The Russian government will prioritize protecting its people, helping them succeed and realize their own potential, creating technological breakthroughs that will help Moscow develop rapidly in the coming years.

Countries either ride the wave of technological development or get drowned by it, Mr Putin said. Failure to do so would lead to economic decline, security problems, brain drain and the erosion of territorial sovereignty.

The Kremlin chief said Russia is strengthening its military, transport and scientific infrastructure in the Arctic to protect Moscow's interests there.

The Russian President outlined a roadmap to help people improve their lives, aiming to increase gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.5 times in the next 10 years.

Russia is building new air defense systems to counter the US deployment. It is also developing a new missile that can reach anywhere in the world and is difficult to intercept. Putin revealed that Russia tested a nuclear missile in late 2017, an underwater drone that can carry a nuclear warhead.

He stressed Russia's tough stance in foreign policy, saying other countries had begun to "listen" to Russia after Moscow created new weapons systems.

President Putin affirmed that all efforts to strengthen Russia's defense capabilities are within the framework of international agreements, saying that this move makes NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders ineffective. Russia will immediately respond if Russia or its allies are attacked by nuclear weapons.

Mr. Putin accused the US of rejecting all proposals for coordination with Russia, while emphasizing that Moscow's military campaign in Syria has demonstrated Russia's defense capabilities.

The annual state of the nation address provides an overview of the current situation in Russia and outlines the main directions of domestic and foreign policy for the coming years. The first state of the nation address was delivered by former President Boris Yeltsin in February 1994.

This event is special because it is the first time it has not taken place in December 2017 but has been postponed to March 2018 and not held at the Kremlin. The person who announced this delay was Mr. Putin's campaign manager, not Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.