Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his State of the Union address to the Russian parliament on Thursday.
The Kremlin is preparing for Russian presidential elections, taking place in just two weeks.
Last year, Putin blamed the West for the war in Ukraine, adding that Moscow had to “protect its people and history” by conducting a “special military operation”.
His speech this year comes after opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in prison earlier this month, with Western leaders blaming Putin for his death.
Another Putin opponent, Boris Nadezhdin, has been barred from the elections after the Kremlin found “issues” with some signatures from his campaign backers.
The Russian President appears to be clamping down heavily on opposition movements in the country in preparation for the election.
Putin’s regime has also warned Western allies against interfering in Ukraine as NATO leaders discuss troops being sent to the country.
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