Lackluster speech prompts speculation about whether he will run again
In his annual address to the nation, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said a new arms race could begin in the next decade if NATO and Moscow fail to agree on a joint missile shield. Medvedev stated that a joint shield would combine “the potentials of Russia and NATO and ensure the protection of all European countries from missile threats.” Medvedev also used the speech to urge Russian families to have three three children or more in order to keep the population from declining. One subject Medvedev didn’t touch on: his political future. With elections less than two years away, his predecessor Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to run for the presidency again.