Team News Riveting
Moscow, December 12
Russian President Vladimir Putin had cancelled the annual end-of-year press conference for the first time in 10 years even as the war in Ukraine entered its 10th month.
“As for the big press conference, yes, it won’t happen before the New Year,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “But we hope that the president will still find an opportunity to talk with [journalists], as he regularly does, including during foreign [visits],” Peskov added.
Peskov however gave no reason for the break with tradition, but Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is cited to have been a significant factor in the decision.
Putin, who has been in power since 2000, has held a customary press conference with Russian and foreign journalists in December on most years of his rule covering an array of topics related to Russia’s domestic and foreign policy. The media gathering, which is reported to be a major political event in the country, usually lasts several hours.
Last year, the Kremlin hand-picked around 500 Russian and foreign journalists to participate in Putin’s annual press conference. Many media outlets were unable to apply for accreditation due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Interestingly, several questions at last year’s four-hour event were dedicated to the geopolitical situation in Ukraine. “This is not our choice, we do not want this,” Putin had said while responding to a question about a potential conflict with Kyiv.
Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24 and the conflict continued through out the year.
