Every year on December 23, there is only one important date for the Russian press: Vladimir Putin’s annual press conference, which lasts several hours. But this year, the Russian president forgoes the opportunity to explain his worldview.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided not to hold his traditional year-end press conference. “There will be no presidential press conference until the beginning of the new year,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing over the phone. Putin, in office since 2000, had held his big meeting with the press year after year since 2001 – the only interruption being between 2008 and 2012 when he was prime minister and not head of state.
Peskov pointed out that Putin also speaks to the press on other occasions, notably during his trips abroad. Peskow gave no reasons for not holding the traditional year-end press conference.
The annual press conference, which is regularly attended by hundreds of Russian and foreign journalists, usually lasts several hours – last year more than four. In the course of the meeting, the Russian head of state will answer questions on a wide variety of topics – from foreign policy to everyday problems of Russians.
In the past, the president’s statements often resembled orders to his government or regional authorities, and often threats to the West. The head of the Kremlin declared last year that “further eastward expansion of NATO is unacceptable.” “What’s wrong with that?” Putin asked angrily. He was particularly critical of Ukraine’s possible admission to NATO. Two months later he ordered the attack on neighboring Russia.
The cancellation of this year’s major press conference was announced against the background of numerous military setbacks by Russian troops in Ukraine. The offensive was originally intended to last only a few days. Nine months later, Russia is the most sanctioned country in the world. In order to be able to sustain the attack, Putin had to mobilize tens of thousands of soldiers for the front again in September.
