Russian President Vladimir Putin was not able to open his annual address to parliament with news that a terrorist attack in Chechnya was over, but he did tell the audience Russia had overcome all the challenges it had faced over the last year.

As expected, the early part of the speech focussed mostly on Ukraine, sanctions, and Russia’s international relations.

Sanctions, Putin claimed, had provided a stimulus to Russia to improve its economy, and he shrugged off their effects, as he did Western and Ukrainian claims that the crisis there was inflamed and fanned by Russia.

The full speech:

[Source]