Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate on Friday in his annual press conference in the country’s capital, Moscow. The event, commonly referred to as the Direct Line, is held as a combined live question-and-answer session and large-scale press conference.
The meeting will take place at Gostiny Dvor, near Moscow’s Red Square, and is scheduled to begin at noon local time (0900 GMT). The format, which allows citizens and journalists to directly address the president, has been held almost every year since 2001, with the exception of 2004, 2012 and 2022, the latter coinciding with the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
During the event, Putin is expected to respond to questions from across Russia as well as from domestic and international media representatives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said journalists from both friendly and unfriendly countries will be able to participate. “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,” Peskov said earlier this week.
The press conference is expected to address a broad range of issues, including Russia’s domestic agenda and key foreign policy developments. Among the topics likely to be discussed are ongoing US-mediated negotiations aimed at reaching a peace deal for Ukraine.
Talks focused on establishing a framework to end the conflict, now approaching its fourth year, have been taking place since November, with consultations held in Switzerland and the United States. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of talks with the US side would be held on Friday and Saturday in the United States.
Following Zelenskyy’s remarks, Peskov stated that Moscow is preparing “relevant contacts” with Washington regarding a revised US-proposed peace plan that has been under discussion over the past two weeks. Initial discussions were reportedly based on a draft 28-point proposal, which would require Ukraine to make significant concessions, including recognizing Russian control over certain territories, limiting the size of its military and agreeing not to join NATO.
Source: Newstimehub
