Putin will address the nation on Wednesday, finally ‘elaborating’ his position on raising Russia's retirement age

After a meeting with his cabinet on Tuesday to discuss the plan to raise Russia’s retirement age, Vladimir Putin promised to make a national address on Wednesday, when he will “elaborate” his position on the matter. Speaking to reporters in Omsk, the president praised the government’s use of “hard economic, financial, and demographic calculations” when drafting the pension reforms, promising a decision that’s both “balanced and cautious.”

Is Putin finally going to slap his name on a policy opposed by 89 percent of Russians?

The president’s efforts to defend pension reform without allowing it to drag down his popularity are pure acrobatics. Meduza compiled a fun little video showing Putin’s comments from the past 13 years about raising Russia’s pension age. In 2005, he was unambiguously against any reforms, firmly stating, “As long as I’m president, no such decision will be made.”

Over the years, however, Putin has increasingly talked about Russia’s pension system as archaic in a world where other graying nations have had to raise their retirement ages. In late July, the president said he “doesn’t like any of the options” when it comes to pension policy, refusing to say overtly if he endorses the draft legislation (presumably written by the Kremlin) now moving through the State Duma.