President Medvedev at his final Federal Assembly address. To the right on the front row is current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and to his left are Federal Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. The Medeyeyev Journal
Russia Turns Up The Nuclear Rhetoric -- Financial Times
Before Dmitry Medvedev’s valedictory speech earlier this month, the outgoing president awarded medals to dozens of Russians, including a theatre director, a policewoman and the chairman of the Russian hockey federation. Then, taking the podium in a glittering Kremlin ballroom, Mr Medvedev declared that Russia’s younger generation needed positive role models to inspire them towards “success in literature, art, education, and” – he paused wistfully – “nuclear weapons”.
“They may still come in handy,” he said, apropos, seemingly, of nothing. “We’re not going to use them, but let’s still keep them around, because we have a big country, a complex country. We must value it and protect it.”
Then, wishing his audience “safe skies”, he signed off.
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My Comment: This nuclear talk is being broadcast because of internal Russian politics .... with everyone believing that this is exactly what Putin wants to hear. I take the contrary point of view .... this is not Putin's priority right now, and I doubt that it will be the case even later on in his Presidency .... but my opinion is not the conventional Russian mindset right now.