Russian President Vladimir Putin struck a markedly different tone in this year’s state of the nation address. (Mostly) absent were allusions to new weapon platforms that NATO has no answer for, and the reassertion of Russian power and influence in far-flung lands like Syria and Ukraine. Instead the president turned inward, pledging to increase spending on various social welfare programs after years of disappointing growth and austerity policies meant to replenish the country’s oil wealth fund.

“There are too many poor people [in Russia],” Putin lamented, “we should focus our attention on fighting this phenomenon.”