Putin’s annual Q&A with Russians is back. 2 issues are front and center.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual question-and-answer session as Russians worry about war and the economy.

• An independent poll presents citizens’ main questions about the end of the war in Ukraine and the economy.

• Inflation, increased defense spending and sanctions are straining the Russian economy and testing public patience.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for his annual televised question-and-answer session, and a new poll shows Russians remain focused on two issues: war and the economy.

According to a poll of 1,608 Russians by the independent Levada Center, the two main concerns Russians want to discuss with Putin are the end of the war and how they are expected to deal with a deteriorating economy.

About a fifth of those surveyed said they would ask Putin when the war in Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a “special military operation,” would end.

Close behind the war is the economy, with 16% saying their biggest issue is living standards – wages, pensions and benefits.

Both concerns have topped Levada polls ahead of Putin’s annual Q&A for the past three years.

Beyond the main concerns, Levada found that 8% of respondents want to ask Putin about price growth and tax hikes, 6% about public and social services, and 5% about the healthcare system.

The concern comes as inflation in Russia remains high and the country’s massive military spending jostles with social spending.

Putin’s televised “Direct Line” question-and-answer session, scheduled for Friday, comes nearly four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering sweeping Western sanctions.

Since the February 2022 invasion, the Kremlin has placed the country on an economic war footing.

Heavy defense spending and state-led investment have helped support overall economic growth, even as sanctions and export restrictions have reshaped trade flows.

But tensions are emerging: revenues from energy exports have fallen amid falling oil prices, while high inflation continues to undermine consumer demand.

The previous hour-long “Direct Line” broadcasts offer a glimpse of how Putin might handle questions authorized by the Kremlin.

Last year, Putin acknowledged that Russia’s economy was overheating amid high inflation and warned citizens to prepare for continued pressure.

However, he deflected blame, suggesting that the central bank and the Russian federal government – ​​officially led by the prime minister – could have acted more decisively to prevent the price surge and credit growth.

Putin is also expected to hold an end-of-year news conference on Friday, during which the spotlight will be on any signals he is giving about the direction of the war.

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