The end-of-year media conference will not be held this year, according to the Kremlin.
Al Jazeera notes that President Putin “regularly speaks to the press, including on foreign visits,” according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who made this announcement on Monday.
The lengthy conference, which often lasts several hours, was cancelled for no apparent reason, according to the spokeswoman.
However, because of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, which started in February, observers saw the action as a breach of decorum.
Since he came to office in 2000, Vladimir Putin has conducted a press conference every December, which he has exploited as an opportunity to improve his public image.
For the first time in ten years, Putin has decided not to attend the annual press conference in December, which provides a unique opportunity for reporters outside the Kremlin, including foreign media, to directly ask the Russian president questions.
Russian soldiers’ invasion of Ukraine has sparked a global debate. The West has retaliated against Russia by imposing a number of economic penalties, viewing Russia’s invasion as an act of aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty.
