Worries about the crisis dominate the nearly 700,000 questions submitted to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ahead of a televised call-in show on Thursday.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that the word “crisis” appears four times more often in questions compared with previous years, while inquiries about international affairs have declined.
Peskov said the shift was understandable considering the fact that the country was mired in the economic crisis and Putin, as prime minister, no longer had the portfolio of international affairs that he had as president.
Despite the large number of submitted questions, Putin has read an “overwhelming majority” of them, Peskov said, Interfax reported.
The live question-and-answer show, “A Conversation with Vladimir Putin: the Sequel,” will air at noon on state television. It will be the eighth hosted by Putin, who last year answered 80 questions in three hours and eight minutes.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.