Putin to Hold Annual Press Conference on Friday as Millions Submit Questions
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to face journalists on Friday in Moscow during his long-running annual press conference, where he is expected to respond to questions from both domestic and international media in a session that typically stretches for hours.
As in previous years, the event will once again be merged with the televised programme Direct Line, a format that allows ordinary Russians to submit grievances, seek presidential intervention on personal challenges, and pose broader political and economic questions directly to the Kremlin leader.
Russian state television reported that more than two million questions were submitted ahead of the broadcast, underscoring the scale and public attention surrounding the highly choreographed media engagement.
PulseNets learned that President Putin began intensive preparations for the event earlier in the week. His spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that the Russian leader had been reviewing briefing materials since Wednesday in anticipation of the wide-ranging discussion.
Persistent domestic concerns such as poverty, rising social pressures, shortcomings in healthcare delivery, and complaints over deteriorating infrastructure are expected to dominate much of the conversation, as they have in previous editions of the programme. The broadcast is carried live across national television channels and major news platforms throughout Russia.
The ongoing war in Ukraine is also likely to feature prominently. Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, questions related to the conflict and calls for an end to the fighting have become a regular fixture during the annual appearance, reflecting growing public unease.
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The televised session has long served as a platform for President Putin to project an image of attentiveness and control, positioning himself as a hands-on leader capable of resolving individual and national problems. During last year’s edition, the combined press conference and Direct Line programme ran for nearly four and a half hours.
(dpa/NAN)
