The Kremlin said Thursday that President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual press conference on Dec. 14, which this year will take place in a “combined format” together with his popular call-in show.
Set-piece political events involving Putin have been delayed or scrapped altogether in the tumultuous months following Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian leader did not hold his Direct Line call-in show or his annual press conference last year — and his annual state-of-the-nation address was delayed to February.
“On December 14, Vladimir Putin will sum up the results of the year. It will be a combined format of the direct line and the president’s final press conference,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday.
He added that the briefing would be broadcast on state-run television networks.
Putin’s Direct Line call-in show allows ordinary citizens to ask the Russian leader to solve their daily problems, while the annual press conference gives journalists the opportunity to question the president on a range of issues.
At the same time, Putin is expected next month to announce that he will run in next year’s presidential election, though it is not clear if his announcement will come before or after the combined call-in and press conference.
AFP contributed to this reporting.
