Putin To Hold Annual Press Conference On December 19, Says Kremlin

Moscow:

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual press conference on December 19, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in televised comments Friday, saying it will include foreign media.

The televised marathon event will take place a month before US President-elect Donald Trump takes over at the White House and as Russian forces make advances in Ukraine.

The event, during which Putin answers journalists' questions and takes calls from members of the public, will be called "Results of the year with Vladimir Putin", Peskov said.

He confirmed that international media will be able to participate, after Russia imposed restrictions and entry bans on foreign journalists working in Russia over the last year in what it calls reciprocal measures.

"Journalists from federal, regional and international media will be accredited," Peskov said.

Representatives of international media attending "will mainly be foreigners working under current accreditation in Russia," Peskov said, while some other Western media will be present.

The event will start noon Moscow time (0900 GMT), the state TASS news agency reported.

Last year's event took more than four hours.

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