Putin's year's end presser is a traditional event at which the head of state answers questions from Russian citizens and the international press.
The December event is the 20th of its kind, but this year's editions will be unique as it will combine a call-in session and the president's annual press conference. It was first announced on November 30: "On December 14, Vladimir Putin will summarize the events of the year, it will be televised," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
Putin's Re-Election Bid in Focus
Perhaps the hottest topic is Putin's decision to run again for the presidency in 2024.
His re-election campaign actually started on December 8, while many expected him to announce his decision with regard to the 2024 race during the annual presser.
The president unveiled his decision to run during an informal conversation with participants of the special military operation. Putin later officially confirmed his decision. His announcement was not planned in advance, as per Peskov.
The "United Russia" party has likewise backed Putin as a candidate in the presidential elections, scheduled for March 17, 2024. According to the Central Election Commission's latest resolution, Russians will be able to cast their votes from March 15 to 17.
Russia Victorious in Domestic and International Affairs
Putin's presser will come at a time when Ukraine's counteroffensive failure has been admitted by the West and reports have emerged about Washington's apparent plans to either force Kiev into negotiating with Russia or somehow freeze the conflict.
Zelensky's December 13 visit to Washington DC aimed at lobbying for further funds ended up in disaster as the $60 billion package for Kiev remains stalled in the US Congress. Likewise, it's not clear whether the EU will be capable of overcoming Hungary's veto and passing next year's $54 billion for Ukraine soon.
Meanwhile, the Arab and Muslim world is growing disenchanted with the US support for Israel in the Gaza war and leaning towards Russia and China who declared their firm commitment for an immediate ceasefire in the strip and a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
Putin's recent Mideast tour stole the headlines of the world's press and forced Western pundits to admit that the attempts to isolate Russia and its leader totally failed. The Russian president was welcomed with much fanfare in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia on December 6.
International observers agree that Putin has risen victorious after 21 months of the special military operation, with Russia quickly adapting to the Western sanctions and expanding ties with the Global South and much of non-Western world.
Putin's New Vision for Russia's Future
It's probable that Putin will reiterate his civilizational approach to Russia's development, articulated during the XXV World Russian People's Council on November 28. Addressing the gathering via a video link, the president offered his vision of the nation's future and historical destiny.
Putin underscored that Russia's special military operation, launched on February 24, 2022, is a battle for sovereignty and a battle for the right to be Russia, a "country-civilization." The Russian president emphasized that it "has got in the way of those who today claim world dominance, their exclusivity". "We are now fighting for the freedom of not only Russia, but the whole world," he stressed.
Putin highlighted that Russia is in the vanguard of the global fight for a new fairer world order and placed emphasis on the importance of traditional values of faith, patriotism and family.
Back in October 2021, the Russian president reflected on the issue defining Russia's ideology at the time as "conservatism of optimists" during his remarks at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.
20th Anniversary of Putin's Q&A and Year-End Presser
The president's annual presser and Q&A session have been held since 2001. As a rule, at the beginning of the event the head of state discusses Russia's main economic and social indicators.
After that, citizens, as well as Russian and foreign journalists, have the opportunity to ask questions on air. Typically, the Russian president responds to questions for several hours. In 2020, Putin's major press conference contained elements of Q&A for the first time.
Enormous Attention in Russia
The event has attracted enormous attention in Russia. Russian citizens are actively sending questions for Putin to answer via phone, SMS, MMS, and the official website. The number of questions has already surpassed 1.5 million. New questions are continuing to arrive around the clock.
As per Kremlin spokesman Peskov, the Russian president reviews the questions personally. Given that the questions are arranged in various categories of most pressing issues, Putin has the opportunity to look through the topics which concern Russian citizens the most, Peskov explained to the press earlier this month. Even though the time for answering questions on air is limited, all of them are collected and thoroughly analyzed, according to the Kremlin spokesperson.