The announcement comes as Russia faces military setbacks in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold his traditional year-end press conference, the Kremlin announced on Monday. “Until the beginning of the new year, there will be no” presidential press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a telephone briefing, noting that Vladimir Putin has spoken to the press on other occasions, particularly when traveling abroad.
Vladimir Putin’s major face-to-face encounter with the press has been organized every year since 2001, with the exception of the period between 2008 and 2012 when he was prime minister. This annual press conference, which brings together hundreds of Russian and foreign journalists, usually lasts for several hours, with the Russian leader answering live questions on everything from diplomacy to everyday Russian issues.
Setbacks, sanctions and embargoes
The President’s reactions to the media often amounted to an order to the government or regional authorities. The decision not to hold the year-end press conference comes as Russia, which launched a military offensive against Ukraine in February, has suffered several military setbacks in recent months and ordered a partial mobilization in September.
Russia has been hit by a barrage of Western sanctions since the start of this offensive and now faces an embargo on its oil supplies to the EU.