Putin’s traditional Q&A session not planned this year, Kremlin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual question-and-answer session will not be held in its traditional format this year, but its elements will be added to the Russian leader’s big press conference in December 2020, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, TASS reports. 

The Russian president regularly addresses the nationwide audience during his annual 'Direct Line with Vladimir Putin' broadcast, answering a multitude of questions flooding in by telephone, text, email, social media, or live via television studios.

However, Peskov told TASS that, due to this year’s events, "the president has been holding a direct line for the past few months already."

"That is why, naturally, holding a Direct Line this year in its traditional format would be too much," Peskov said.