Vladimir Putin will not take place in an ice hockey match that he traditionally organizes every New Year in Moscow’s Red Square.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, today confirmed that Putin, 70, will not take part this year – but gave no reason for his absence.
The game is part of an amateur league that Putin created in 2011 and in which he sometimes plays. In 2020, he was joined by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
It comes after Putin also canceled a traditional year-end press conference, also without giving a reason, although there is speculation he does not want to face questions about the war on Israel. Ukraine.
The cancellations also come amid rumors that Putin is suffering from health issues.
Vladimir Putin has canceled his annual live televised press conference in an apparent attempt to avoid being asked about his failed invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian president has held a press conference in December for most years of his reign, starting in 2000. Last year he spoke for more than four hours.
Annual ice hockey games have also taken place most years and have continued despite the Covid pandemic.
But they would now take place against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, which has turned into a huge geopolitical misstep for Putin.
At the media rally – a major political event in the country – Putin answers questions from the press and public in a marathon that usually lasts several hours but could have faced some tough questions this year about his disastrous invasion.
He is regularly confronted with questions from more than 500 Russian and foreign journalists. In 2019, a record 1,895 journalists were accredited. The big end-of-year session usually takes place between December 14 and 23.
The decision came despite reports suggesting he had already decided Western media should be banned from the event amid the war in Ukraine.
These moves mean he’s not even ready to face Russian reporters under the watch of a major live event and be openly asked about his war.
