Vladimir Putin has scrapped his annual live television press conference in an apparent bid to avoid being quizzed over his failing invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian president has held a press conference in December most years of his rule, that began in 2000. Last year, he spoke for more than four hours.
However, having ordered his troops across the border on February 24 expecting a swift victory, he has since suffered a series of embarrassing defeats. The cancellation of the conference suggests he is hoping to avoid public scrutiny.
‘There will not be (a press conference) before the New Year,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Putin ‘regularly speaks to the press, including on foreign visits’, but gave no reason for the break with tradition.
[One has to wonder whether this is just about the embarrassment in Ukraine, or more about his health and stamina. Either way it looks bad for Tsar Vlad. — Ed]
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