Putin to take part in live annual press conference in Russian capital

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday will take part in an annual press conference in the country’s capital Moscow.

The event, called the Direct Line, held as a combined live Q&A session and press conference, will begin at noon local time (0900GMT) at Gostiny Dvor, located near Moscow’s Red Square.

It has been almost annually since 2001, with the exception of three years – 2004, 2012 and 2022, the latter marking the year the Russia-Ukraine war began.

During the event, Putin will take questions from various parts of the country as well as local and foreign journalists.

“Of course, there will be some from friendly countries and some who continue to work here from unfriendly countries … They will have the opportunity to ask questions just like everyone else,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

The event is expected to touch on multiple domestic and foreign policy issues, including ongoing US-mediated negotiations on a peace deal for Ukraine.

A series of talks focused on a peace framework to end the war, now nearing the four-year mark, have been held since November, with consultations held in both Switzerland and the US.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of talks with the American side will take place on Friday and Saturday in the US, while Peskov later said that Moscow is preparing “relevant contacts” with Washington concerning a revised US-proposed peace plan under discussion over the past two weeks.

Discussions were based initially on a draft 28-point proposal, which reportedly required Ukraine to make significant concessions, including recognizing Russian control over its territories, limiting its military personnel, and agreeing not to join NATO.