“Our women prefer Nigerian husbands” — Kenyan President Ruto ‘concerned’

CC™ PersPective

By Ismail

Kenyan President William Ruto has expressed concerns about the growing number of Kenyan women marrying Nigerian men, including his own daughters.

Speaking at a recent wedding event, Ruto humorously reflected on what he called a noticeable trend, revealing that two of his daughters have married Nigerian men.

With a tone of playful concern, he questioned why Kenyan men seem to be falling behind in the romantic race.

“My daughter is married to a Nigerian, and this one is now married to a Nigerian. And our guys around; I don’t know, are you slow? I don’t know,” the president quipped.

Ruto went on to jokingly warn that if the trend continues, Kenya might face a “brain drain,” as more women choose Nigerian partners.

The comment, while delivered in jest, has stirred discussions on social media across both Kenya and Nigeria.

An Instagram user, @folajimijoseph wrote, “I was in the elevator with a Brazilian tourist in New York, she asked where I’m from, the moment I mentioned Nigeria there was this glow on her face. Then she said “I love Nigerians”. Nigerian men are gold worldwide.”

Another user, @xrixy_walker added, “Nigerian men keep representin’. The most highly sought after men in the world. ???.”

@chukwunonsoinoma penned: “The men should come and marry Nigerian ladies. We have great women that will help build the economy of Kenya and make great impacts.”

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GISTREEL

PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU - TWO YEARS OF CHALLENGING ECONOMIC REFORMS

CC™ PersPective

By Yahaya Balogun

In his timeless book, "The Trouble with Nigeria," the late Professor Chinua Achebe poignantly pointed out that the core issue plaguing Nigeria arises "simply and squarely" from a deficit in leadership. Dismissing the leadership and two years of progress and contributions President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made would be disingenuous and preposterous. President Tinubu's meticulous strategy for governance reveals a leader who had come prepared and ready to embrace the demanding challenge of leading the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The ongoing discourse surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's turbulent two-year tenure, marked by extensive governmental reforms and renewed hope and optimism, warrants serious attention. It is indisputable that his socio-economic initiatives fundamentally rethink government operations in Nigeria. Nonetheless, a critical inquiry arises: How many ordinary Nigerians are truly reaping the benefits of these socio-economic reforms and transformations?

While it is accurate to acknowledge that certain statements from the administration regarding statistical achievements present a degree of truth—of which I am convinced, supported by numerous examples—the reality is that these assertions have not effectively translated into noticeable enhancements in the overall living conditions of the populace. Despite the veracity of these claims, their real-world impact on citizens' daily lives remains regrettably limited.

Consequently, I find myself at a juncture similar to that of many discerning individuals; our considerations regarding the reasons for this disparity are equally legitimate. We are left contemplating why, despite the potential for beneficial change, there has been a lack of substantial progress that improves the living standards for the majority. This intricate scenario compels us to scrutinize the efficiency of the existing systems and whether they genuinely fulfill the needs of those they are designed to assist.

To assess governmental policy achievements, it is essential to identify and evaluate six significant existential factors, among others below: 

• Tinubu's administration must implement an impactful and commendable policy aimed at identifying people's needs. It should be called Public Bureau of Access and Transparency (PBAT). This policy needs to resonate deeply within the lives of the underprivileged communities in Nigerian society. It is crucial that this suggested and well-intentioned initiative not only remains a lofty ideal to be discussed in boardrooms or legislative halls but manifests tangible, positive changes in the everyday realities of those facing socio-economic hardships. 

• PBAT's administration must continue with its comprehensive approach to security, encompassing many strategies, methodologies, and technologies designed to enhance public safety and maintain law and order. It must involve not only the deployment of law enforcement agencies but also the collaboration between various sectors, including community organizations, educational institutions, and private enterprises, all working together to foster a safer environment.

• The government holds a profound responsibility not only to its own mechanisms and institutions but also to the very citizens it serves. This accountability is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy, anchoring the trust between the ruling authorities and the populace. It embodies a complex relationship wherein elected officials, public servants, and civil institutions are bound by a duty to operate transparently, ensuring that their actions and decisions reflect the interests and needs of the community.

• Equitable and prudent distribution of scarce resources to meet the needs of the disadvantaged population.

• The uniform application of justice, equity, and fairness among citizens, irrespective of geopolitical factors, would reinstate confidence and trust in the equal branches of government.

• A broad transformation of Nigeria’s varied cultural, religious, and political landscapes is essential, along with the necessity for all diligent Nigerians to re-engage with agriculture and commerce.

• Enhancement of the government's initiatives aimed at achieving both immediate and enduring success in revitalizing the economy and fulfilling the aspirations of the populace.

Straying from these suggested solutions could prolong the hardships faced by the people of Nigeria. The everyday Nigerian is entitled to relief from the nation's abundant resources. Those living in poverty should be able to feel the positive changes in the economy, experiencing rejuvenation and reforms that truly benefit every citizen.

The art of managing people

Editor-in-Chief 

Organizations struggle everyday with the germane issue of what the effective management of people, an organization's most prized asset, actually entails. The effective management of people within an organization requires a thorough understanding of the following: 
  

• Motivation - Whether intrinsic or extrinsic and the importance of positive triggers....
• Job design and environment....
• Company's rewards system and how it is structured and also possibly layered....
• Group influence as a function of Group-think and other allegiances....

Motivation
Human beings are creatures of habit and by that, I mean it is natural to expect that individuals will have different triggers within their genetic and socio-cultural make-up, that ultimately control what their motivations are, where they originate from or worse still, whether or not they have any at all.
Of course, as a business owner or a leader, you would hope you haven't hired someone or lead a group of people on the bottom rung of the Motivation Trigger Index™ (MTI).
Usually, one finds that most people with intrinsic motivation tend to have a higher MTI. They are the high achievers and are usually not driven to succeed or excel necessarily as a result of positive external triggers, but do so because it is just in their make-up. It is however important to note that for these group, the Positive External Triggers (PETs) only serve to further elevate their MTI scores. As for those, whose Motivational Intelligence (MI) require external triggers, they tend to be either in the middle or the lower rung of the Motivation Trigger Index™. People in this category tend to require an appreciable amount of Positive External Triggers (PETs) and ironically, if they have quite a bit of this, they are bound to excel at their tasks, in some cases, even with distinction. However, unlike the first group, their MTI scores tend to vacillate between just above average to poor, as a function of the amount of PETs they are exposed to in their work and related environment.

Job Design and Environment
Over the years, scientific management has sought to strip workers of their initiative, thus ridding the work environment of key intangibles such as skill set diversity, autonomy and most important of all, feedback, constructive or otherwise.
A perfect example of empowering employees and creating an environment that engenders optimum productivity and creativity is to seek input from your employees, even when you, as a leader, know what the solution to a problem is. They may even suggest the solution you have in mind and you can give them credit for it.

Rewards System
The rewards system must be one that does not give rise to suspicion or insinuations of favoritism. While majority of organizations, big or small, insist on building a "team atmosphere", it is imperative that top performers, particularly those that most closely espouse the company's core principles within the framework of its corporate culture, are duly rewarded and recognized as such.
This process should however be carefully monitored and managed, so as to ensure that everyone (including the non-monetary contributors) feels a sense of belonging to the organization, through their own respective contributions.
It is a well-known fact that the successful execution of a company's business strategy must involve everyone on the ship.

Group Influence
This can either be a "good thing" or a "bad thing", but it depends on how you look at it. Now, while it can create a negative work environment due to its potentially divisive and mostly political nature, it is an unavoidable phenomenon.
Most organizations have learned to not only exist but also flourish with just the "right amount" of group-think, as it actually may engender a spirit of collaboration towards reaching the ultimate objectives of the organization.
The overriding attitude becomes one where the conclusion is that if the company wins, then everyone wins. 

© 2025 2CG MEDIA. Coker Confidential™

‘Disgusting abomination,’ Elon Musk slams Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

CC™ PersPective

Elon Musk has launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling the sweeping legislative package a “disgusting abomination” and denouncing those who supported it in Congress.

“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk said.

The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO posted his rebuke on X  Tuesday afternoon, expressing frustration with what he described as excessive and irresponsible federal spending.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination”, Musk wrote.

He continued: “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

The bill, which passed the House in May with near-unanimous Republican backing, includes provisions to cut Medicaid and extends tax cuts initially introduced during Trump’s 2017 term. The measure has already stirred debate among fiscal conservatives, and Musk’s comments are amplifying the tension.

During a weekly lunch on Capitol Hill, GOP senators were reportedly passing Musk’s post around. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a known fiscal hawk, acknowledged its rapid spread among colleagues.

“I texted it to a few people. I had a phone passed to me”, Johnson said.

While Musk had previously voiced his disappointment with the bill in a recent interview, his latest statements marked a notable escalation. The remarks come as Musk officially steps away from his advisory role in the Trump administration.

On Friday, Musk appeared alongside Trump at a press conference to commemorate his service. Trump praised Musk warmly and dismissed suggestions of discord between them.

Despite that public show of unity, Musk’s economic criticisms have not softened. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that the legislation could balloon the national deficit by $2.5 trillion over the next decade.

“It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt,” Musk warned in a follow-up post. 

He added: “Congress is making America bankrupt.”

As the bill moves to the Senate, GOP lawmakers are under pressure to make adjustments. Senator Mike Lee of Utah responded to Musk’s post directly, stating, “The Senate must make this bill better.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the controversy during a briefing held shortly after Musk’s posts.

“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the President’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it,” Leavitt said.

In a moment that quickly circulated online, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked how Trump would react to Musk’s scathing remarks. 

Leavitt reiterated: “The President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change.”

Musk’s critiques date back weeks. In a CBS interview, he noted the bill’s conflict with the goals of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), an agency he had supported.

“I was like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. I think a bill can be big, or it could be beautiful. I don’t know if it could be both”, Musk said.

(Business Insider)

Sound advice from Mark Cuban on the best investment you can make.

CC™ PersPective

BY MARCEL SCHWANTES

When it comes to building a successful career, few principles are as powerful—or overlooked—as the habit of self-improvement. Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur and investor, credits much of his success to one simple but profound idea: Invest in yourself.

“Some of the best investments I ever made were investing in myself, first and foremost. When you’re first starting—you may or may not have a job, you don’t have any money, you’re [uncertain] about your career. What I learned early on is that if I put in the effort, I can learn almost anything.

It may take me a long time, but by putting in the effort, I taught myself technology. I taught myself to program. It was time-consuming—painfully so—but that investment in myself has paid dividends for the rest of my life.

The fact that I recognized that learning was truly a skill, and that by continuing to learn to this day, I’m able to compete, keep up, and get ahead of most people—because the reality is, most people don’t put in the time to keep up and learn. And that’s always given me a competitive advantage.”

Here are five practical reasons why investing in yourself as a leader is one of the smartest moves you can make to succeed in business:

1. You become your own competitive advantage.

In business, when you invest in learning—whether it’s public speaking, data analysis, AI, leadership, or emotional intelligence—you equip yourself with tools others may lack. Over time, to Cuban’s point, that edge compounds.

2. You build confidence and clarity. 

When you sharpen your abilities, you don’t just get smarter—you feel more capable. That confidence shows up in meetings, negotiations, and tough decisions. It also helps you stay clear on your goals, set boundaries, and lead your people with conviction.

3. Your team mirrors your growth. 

As a leader, your mindset sets the tone for the entire company. When you prioritize your own growth, you model what continuous improvement looks like. That inspires your team to do the same—and over time, it creates a culture of learning and accountability.

4. It sharpens your decision making.

The higher up you go, the fewer people are willing to challenge your thinking. Investing in coaching, training, reading, or peer networks gives you fresh perspectives and helps you make better, faster, and more strategic decisions—especially under pressure.

5. It protects you from burnout and blind spots. 

Leading a company is high-stakes and emotionally demanding. Investing in your mental, emotional, and physical well-being isn’t indulgent—it’s essential. When you’re self-aware and grounded, you’re less reactive and more resilient, which makes you a more effective leader for others.

In the end, your business can only grow as fast and as far as you do. Investing in yourself isn’t optional—it’s foundational. As Mark Cuban said, the effort you put into learning and evolving pays dividends for life. It’s the one investment no market crash or competitor can take away.

SOURCE - INC.COM

Why Elon Musk Is A Fraud

CC™ VideoSpective

Flashback: Neo-Colonialism as the golden shackle: IMF declares 40% of African countries buried in debt..... Rich continent, poor masses

CC™ Global News

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, says 40 per cent of African countries are in debt distress. 

She described Africa as a continent of opportunities and one with many troubles, noting that the focus was to help countries have sound macro-economic policies, improve the investment climate and show it to the rest of the world.

"Africa is a continent of opportunities and what we are looking for is for this opportunity to be harnessed to the maximum. It is also a continent with many troubles; so, we have to be mindful of these risks especially security risks," she said.

Commenting on the debt levels of countries, the newly appointed IMF MD said, "Are we worried about debt levels in Africa? Yes, because 40 per cent of the countries have gone into debt distress levels.

"In some cases, we are concerned about that but in other cases, we see that investment is going to pay off over time.

"Take the case of Kenya, we advise Kenya to be more cautious in building debt but we have seen good macroeconomic policy in Kenya.

"In cases where debt is dangerous like Zambia, we do say you need to get a handle on your debt. In Ethiopia, we say you need to renegotiate some of your debts because it is non-concessional for things that should be on a concessional basis.

"One has to remember that debt on its own is not bad. It is bad when it goes with the wrong things and when it goes with the speed that the economy cannot handle."

Georgieva said countries that were experiencing higher growth rate had done so by borrowing for investments that could generate growth and eliminating red tape for local and foreign investors.

She said the IMF would hold a 'concentrated' meeting with African leaders in December to discuss debt sustainability.

Source: The Cable

Flashback: Israel Forcibly Injected African Immigrants with Birth Control, Report Claims

CC™ IntroSpective

By Elise Knutsen 

Recently, a report revealing that African women immigrating to Israel were subjected to mandatory contraceptive injections, effectively amounting to forced (if temporary) sterilization made global headlines.

Some 130,000 Ethiopians, most of them Falasha (Beta Israel) Jews, live in Israel. The community experiences higher poverty and unemployment rates than the rest of the country’s Jewish population. In the past decade, the birth rate among Ethiopian-Israelis has declined by at least 20 percent. Advocacy groups now claim this decline is the result of a birth control regimen forced upon Ethiopian immigrant women.

According to an article in Haaretz, an Israeli news source, one Ethiopian immigrant said that the doctors who injected her claimed that “people who frequently give birth suffer.” While it is possible, if highly unlikely, that doctors genuinely had the women’s health in mind when they forcibly injected them with contraceptives, there is no excuse for depriving women sovereignty over their own reproductive choices.

Israel has acknowledged the issue (without admitting any wrongdoing) and has vowed institutional changes in healthcare for immigrants. By decree of Israel’s health minister, gynecologists have been ordered “not to renew prescriptions for Depo-Provera for women of Ethiopian origin if for any reason there is concern that they might not understand the ramifications of the treatment.” Still, intense scrutiny should be applied by women’s groups and international organizations to make sure these changes are implemented in full. Moreover, more attention must be paid to the plight of vulnerable African immigrants around the world.

That Israel should allegedly engage in this activity is particularly shocking, considering the practice was widely used by the Germans throughout the Shoah. While the scale and effects of these operations cannot be compared, Israel’s implicit intent to limit ‘burdensome’ (read: undesirable) portions of the population recalls the dark eugenics experiments of World War II.

Immigration, legal and otherwise, is a difficult and invariably sticky issue for developed nations. Israel, like the United States, has struggled to find a way to secure its borders and its population while dealing with a constant stream of immigrants from neighboring countries and, increasingly, the African continent. While admitting the difficult security issues that Israel faces, the international community must loudly and unanimously rebuke the systematic violations of human rights inflicted on women immigrants of African origin.

From a sociological perspective, this incident shows the strain between Israel’s religious heritage and its modern political agenda. “Behold, the heritage of the Lord is sons, the reward is the fruit of the innards. Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the sons of one’s youth.  Praiseworthy is the man who has filled his quiver with them,” the Torah proclaims. The involuntary sterilization of African immigrants suggests that the Jewish moral code (inextricably connected with Israel’s domestic legal codes) can be selectively applied to those with ‘desirable’ backgrounds. It is hard, indeed almost impossible to believe that an American Jewish woman immigrating to Israel would have been forced to take birth control.

FORBES

Flashback: Black lives matter; All lives matter

CC™ Breaking Bread - E.O. Eke 

The horrific suffocation of George Floyd, by the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, has not only shocked and enraged the world it has once again brought the surface the degree of hatred, prejudice and wickedness inspired by race that still exist in the hearts of some human beings.

George Floyd is the latest addition to a gallery of victims of US police brutality, against black peoples: Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile and Freddie Gray, are examples of black men who have been murdered by American police.

In spite of outrage like the one we are witnessing today, black people continue to suffer prejudiced treatment in the hands of some white people and institutions in many white dominated countries.

The killing of Mr Floyd by a group of white American police men is a heinous and despicable crime which offends humanity.

I would like to say that it is not only blacks in America that are suffering the kind of injustice that led to the death of George Floyd . In Nigeria, police brutality of the type that claimed the life of George Floyd is routine and currently there is a Fulani knee on the neck of Nigerians.

On 7 and 8 June, 2005, six young Nigerians, 5 men and one woman of Igbo extraction, Ekene Isaac Mgbe, Ifeanyin Ozor, Chinedu Meniru, Paulinus Ogbonna and Anthony and Augustina Arebu were murdered in cold blood by members of Nigerian police led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Danjuma Ibrahim. Mr Danjuma is still wearing the uniform of the Nigerian police.

In July 16 2019, Mr Chinedu Obi, aka ‘Zinquest’ an Igbo was arrested by the Nigerian Police for being covered in tattoos, wearing a gold chain and in possession of an expensive I-phone.The police shot him and then watched him bleed to death. These are just two examples from many.

These crimes against humanity continue to take place because the Fulani caliphate hijacked Nigeria, through a rouge constitution after the civil war.

What else can I say, when the game keeper is the poacher? What hope has the sheep, when the Shepard is a wolf? What future has Nigeria, when the Nigerian government is on the side of Fulani terrorists?

In Nigeria it is one rule for Fulanis and another for others. Fulani terrorists masquerading as cattle rearers carry AK 47 openly in Nigeria, but the police arrests others with legal gun licence because they are from other ethnic groups. The Buhari government has pursued a policy of disarming ordinary Nigerians, while aiding Fulani terrorists to arm.

Fulani terrorists are free to operate from their bases in forests, where they are supplied with Nigerian military helicopters and the world looks on.

White police officers kills one black man, thirty cities in America erupt in violence, but Fulani terrorists wipe out villages after villages in Nigeria, and the Nigerian government, press and the world keep silent. Yes, it is right to protest against evils of the type claimed the life of George Floyd, but evil has no colour. Evil is pervasive.

I am forced to as; does black life matter, only when white People kill blacks? Does black life matter when black youth kill black youth in London? Does black matter when police from Islamic north Nigeria kill Christians southerners because of who they are? Who cares about the hundreds being killed daily in Nigeria by Fulani terrorists? Are they not black lives?

What can I say. Nigerians cry on. Maybe, one day, Nigerians will wake up from magical thinking and realise that people create their own heaven or hell and no people can progress, unless they take control and commit to change, evil will win.

I suppose Black people should also fight against tribalism, toxic ethnic nationalism, corruption, religious intolerance and terrorism. This is the way to demonstrate that indeed, Black livers matter.

The white knee on the neck of black George Floyd black neck made it impossible for him to breathe and he died while the other police men and many others stood by.

In a time like this, it is easy to forget who is a racist. A racist is not only a white police Officer with his knee on the neck of a black man.

It is any human being who restricts his goodness, justice and love to people of his race, religion, nationality and or ethnicity.

It is a person, who narrowly defines his goodness and finds good reasons to exclude others from it.

Whenever a human being finds good reason to do to others, what he or she would not want others to do him, members of his family and or ethnic and religious group, that individual is a racist, who has a suffocating knee on the neck of his victim.

A racist is a person who opposes a relationship because of tribal or ethnic and or religious differences.

A racist is a person who refuses to employ another on the basis of ethnicity, gender or religion.

A racist is a human being who discriminates on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation.

A racist is a prejudiced human being eaten up by hatred of those, who are different.

How does a man with a knee on his neck get up? While his knee was on my neck you passed by.

While his knee was on my neck, you looked away. While his knee was on my neck, you called me a criminal and a "nigger." While his knee was on my neck, what did you do? Indeed, all lives matter.

All lives matter. The colour of evil is not white. There are evil black and white peoples.

Every week in London, a black youth kills another black youth. White people spearheaded the abolition of slavery and many black peoples were involved in the slave trade. They sold blacks to whites as slaves. I have experienced evil from both whites and blacks. Evil has no colour.

It is important not to judge a race by the actions of a few people from the race. In the final analysis we are all belong to the human race and are individuals who are responsible for our actions.

If we are prepared to ascribe the evil of one individual to his race, we should also be ready to ascribe the goodness of another individual to his race.

We need to see people as individuals before the colour of their skin. We need to dig deeper. All lives matter do matter.

Freedom only comes when men reject the status quo and take control.

People overcome tyranny when they rise up to oppose evil and wrong, whenever they see it, no matter who is the victim.

It is time to demonstrate that Nigerian lives matter. It is time to end Fulani terrorism and police and, military brutality in Nigeria.

All lives matter. No one should have his knee on the neck of anther human being. End racism and ethnic nationalism, and terrorism. Embrace equality under the law and justice as fairness for all. All lives matter.

Putin warns West it is leading the world towards a potential nuclear confrontation

CC™ Headline News

President Vladimir Putin has warned of a “real” risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine, offering a defiant and emboldened stance in his annual speech to Russians.

Speaking in Moscow, Putin said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of “tragic consequences” for any country that dared to send troops to Kyiv.

They have announced the possibility of sending Western military contingents to Ukraine. The consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic,” he said in his address to the nation.

“They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilisation,” said Putin.

His comments appeared to be a response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal earlier this week to rule out sending troops to Ukraine — a stance that drew swift rejection from other leaders in Europe.

Nevertheless, the debate has struck a nerve in Moscow, which has long seen its conflict with Ukraine as part of a wider “hybrid war” being waged against it by NATO.

Western leaders have repeatedly criticised Putin for what they see as his reckless use of nuclear rhetoric.

After pulling Russia out of arms control treaties with the United States and previously warning he was “not bluffing” when he said he was ready to use nuclear weapons, Putin had appeared in recent months to dial down his nuclear threats.

But the fresh warning comes with the Kremlin buoyed by recent gains on the battlefield in Ukraine, but also an economy that has largely defied sanctions and ahead of an election certain to extend Putin’s term in the Kremlin until 2030.

- Russian forces ‘advancing’ -

The current state of affairs marks a sharp reversal in fortunes for Moscow over the last 12 months.

Last year at this time, Russian troops were reeling from Ukrainian counteroffensives that pushed them back in northeastern and southern Ukraine.

But after a Ukrainian campaign in the summer of 2023 failed to bring similar results, Kyiv is back on the defensive.

The initially strong Western support for Ukraine also appears to be fraying, with a $60-billion US aid package stalled in Congress.

Outgunning Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, Putin’s troops seized the eastern stronghold of Avdiivka and are attempting to build on their advances.

Putin on Thursday pointed to recent successes.

“The combat capacity of our armed forces has increased many times over,” he said.

“They are advancing confidently in a number of areas,” he added, without providing details.

Flanked by Russian tricolour flags and standing alone on stage at the Gostiny Dvor Palace near Moscow’s Red Square, the Russian leader reeled off his country’s arsenal of advanced weapons, including the Zircon and Kinzhal supersonic missiles.

But he slammed reports Russia was preparing to deploy a nuclear weapon in space as a “ploy” by Washington to draw Moscow into arms control talks “on their terms”.

- Election campaign -

Putin also touted Russia’s strong economic performance at home and outlined a number of small-scale domestic reforms as part of his pitch to Russians ahead of next month’s presidential election.

His speech was broadcast not only on state television but also on large digital screens and free of charge in cinemas across the country.

On the economic front, he said Russia was faring better than many expected.

Massive investment in military production, as well as high salaries and benefits for soldiers, has largely shielded the economy from the worst consequences of Western sanctions.

There is little doubt on the outcome of the March 15-17 vote, with all genuine opposition candidates barred from standing and the Kremlin’s most vocal critic Alexei Navalny now dead.

But Putin has still been campaigning, traveling around the country and making numerous media appearances since the start of the year, including recently flying a Russian bomber.

The 71-year-old former KGB officer, in power since the final day of 1999, is the longest serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin — a record he is set to pass during his next six-year term.

Even before Putin ordered forces into Ukraine in February 2022, he had increasingly portrayed himself as a defender of Russian values against a decadent, liberal and expansionist West.

He has used the military campaign to escalate a crackdown on domestic opponents, with hundreds prosecuted for criticising the Kremlin and its military offensive.

The speech came on the eve of a planned funeral for Putin’s top opponent Navalny, who died in prison on 16 February in unclear circumstances.

Putin, who famously never referred to the opposition leader by name, has remained silent on Navalny’s shock death that prompted outrage at home and abroad.

AFP