Number Of Canceled Events Involving Putin's Participation Rises Beyond Dozen
- 27.12.2022, 9:11
The Kremlin head is hiding from the public.
The last traditional event that Putin did not cancel was his New Year address to the Russian people. Its cancellation has not yet been reported, and Putin himself has already joked that he will watch the presidential address. However, according to the We Can Explain telegram channel, the address has not yet been recorded and given to federal channels to be broadcast on New Year's Eve. And there are some events that Putin has already cancelled.
A visit to the Urals. The Russian president was supposed to visit Nizhny Tagil, which is home to Uralvagonzavod, which, among other things, produces military hardware. Because of this, the company's employees were even banned from travelling between production shops, and the opening of the Christmas tree in Nizhny Tagil was cancelled and the sky was closed. However, at the last minute, Putin's trip was cancelled.
Meeting with businessmen. It is traditional for Putin to meet with major businessmen before the New Year. At such events, the president usually praises the state of the Russian economy. However, this year, apparently, there is nothing to praise. The meeting has been cancelled, though Putin himself said that this was due to the epidemiological situation.
The conversation with Aliyev and Pashinian. The tripartite meeting was supposed to take place at the CIS summit in St Petersburg, which is taking place these days. As recently as October, the three leaders had already met in Sochi. But there will be no meeting this time, Dmitry Peskov has confirmed.
The meeting with the Cabinet of Ministers. Traditionally, before the holidays, Putin held a New Year's Eve meeting with members of the government, where he summed up the year's results and discussed plans for the next year. These events were announced by the Kremlin press service. The New Year is approaching and there are no announcements.
The Address and the Direct Line. The main events of the end of the year were always considered to be the Address to the Federal Assembly, the press conference, and the Direct Line. But none of them will take place this year. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this decision shows Putin's lack of confidence in his ability to "justify the price of war".
The hockey game in Red Square. Before New Year's Eve, Putin took to the ice in the centre of Moscow. He was accompanied by his inner circle - Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Potanin, Roman Rotenberg, for example. But the year 2022 was an exception. Peskov has said that Putin is not planning to play hockey in Red Square on New Year's Eve this year.
Meeting with the culture. In December, Putin also attended a meeting of the Council for Culture and the Arts. Director Aleksandr Sokurov often took the floor at these meetings, criticising the Russian leadership. In 2021, he entered into an argument with Putin, suggesting that those republics within Russia that "no longer want to live in one state" should be let go.
"There is nothing optimistic to say, and continuing to lie is fraught with the ultimate disappointment of the audience," political analyst Abbas Galliamov has commented on the permanent cancellations of presidential events.