MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. Preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin's Direct Line Q&A session have not started yet, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"Not yet," the Kremlin spokesman said when asked if preparations for the Q&A session had begun. "We will let you know," Peskov said.

Earlier, Peskov said that the Direct Line session would be held closer to the New Year and would again be combined with the year-end press conference.

The last Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference was held on December 14, 2023. Previously, the combined press conference and Direct Line format was used in 2020, when a pandemic prevented both events from taking place in their previous form.

The previous Direct Line with the president was held in 2021, and a total of 18 times (as a separate format). Since 2001, Putin has spoken to Russians on the air 15 times as president and four times as prime minister.