1 of 2 | Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold an annual news conference as scheduled this month, instead moving it to an unspecified date next year, Russian media reported on Monday. Pool Photo courtesy of the Kremlin |
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Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold an annual news conference as scheduled this month, instead moving it to an unspecified date next year, Russian media reported Monday.
"As for the annual news conference, yes, there won't be one before the New Year, but we expect that the president will still find an opportunity to talk to [reporters], as he does regularly, including during his foreign visits," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media agency Tass.
"We will inform you in due time," Peskov said, but declined to give a reason for the postponement.
This marks the first time in a decade that Putin will not appear on television nationwide in December.
Putin has held 17 news conferences since 2001, occasionally missing one along the way.
The event has become a staple on his calendar, similar to his call-in show where he takes questions from everyday citizens.
The annual event is one of the few opportunities for both Russian and international foreign correspondents to ask Putin direct questions. The news conference often lasts several hours, and though it has the appearance of openness, the New York Times reported the questions are often pre-screened.
The news comes amid a series of Russian military setbacks on the battlefield as it continues its war against Ukraine.
Hundreds of Russian soldiers were reportedly killed during fighting on Sunday in the occupied city of Melitopol.
On Friday, Putin suggested that Russia may abandon its nuclear doctrine, preventing the country from being the first to use nuclear weapons during conflict. It was the second time in a week he warned of the "increasing" threat of nuclear war.
Russian military forces have suffered an estimated 380,000 casualties since the war in Ukraine began.
