Putin declares 2026 the year of Russian national unity.
Vladimir Putin declared the new year the Year of Russian National Unity at a meeting of the Russian State Council in the Kremlin on Thursday.
Putin had emphasized the need to replace “patriotism” with an ideology left over from the Soviet era at a meeting with members of the Council for Interethnic Relations of this multinational country.
The Russian President said: “Patriotism means cultivating love for the great and common homeland of our ancestors, Russia, with a clear understanding of its meaning for each of its citizens and ethnic groups living in this country.”
Putin noted: “The public understanding that preserving the common homeland is primarily in the interests of each of Russia’s citizens must be strengthened, because it can protect the country from the efforts of enemies and ensure our future and that of our children.”
The Russian President also emphasized in a speech to the Federation Council (senators) and the government on Wednesday, January 24, 2026, that Russia’s regions should be more actively involved in formulating new decisions on the national agenda.
Putin, who was present at the Federation Council (Upper House) of Russia, emphasized in a speech at the plenary session of the council the need to take into account the interests of local and regional communities in the work and decision-making process of the Russian parliament.