MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Media from unfriendly countries will be allowed to attend Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual press conference in December, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"They will be [admitted]," the Kremlin spokesman confirmed. "We invite them. They work," he added.

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.