President Vladimir Putin addressed the Duma for the 13th time last week. Though there were no revelations in the speech – no bold new visions for the development of the country were proffered – the focus was notably different. Russia’s President talked much less about foreign policy than in the previous three years, and this time his rhetoric sounded conciliatory. This little twist was predictable: the independent Levada Center had published a new poll two days before Putin’s address reporting that two-thirds of Russians would welcome an improvement in relations with the West.
Vladimir Putin rarely echoes the vox populi directly, and given the possibility of improved relations with the incoming Trump Administration, Putin was likely to change the tone of his messaging on relations with the West this year regardless of what polls said. But the Kremlin is mindful of polls, and the Levada survey provided Putin with cover to do what he probably wanted to do anyway.
