Cornered in Ukraine, Putin ditches annual news conference

The Associated Press

The Kremlin says that President Vladimir Putin has ditched his annual marathon news conference following a series of battlefield setbacks in Ukraine.

That is a tacit acknowledgment that the Russian leader’s war has gone badly wrong.

Putin typically uses the year-end ritual to polish his image.

He answers a wide range of questions on domestic and foreign policy issues to demonstrate his grip on details and give the semblance of openness even though the event is tightly stage-managed.

With his troops on the back foot in Ukraine, observers say the risks of even a highly choreographed event may be too great.

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12/13/2022 11:13:52 AM (GMT -6:00)