In a televised address to the nation, the Russian president proposed moves that would ease the transition to a new pension system, such as making it illegal to fire employees approaching retirement age.
In the much-anticipated address, Putin also acknowledged that in the early 2000s, he was against any changes to the Russian pension system and promised that there would not be any as long as he is the president. He stated that, at that time, it was a sound position due to the high unemployment rate, poverty, galloping inflation, and relatively low life expectancy.
