MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The Kremlin believes it’s necessary to take advantage of the global media’s fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin to enlighten people around the world about Russia’s position, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Channel One.
Commenting on Moscow’s decision to allow Western journalists to take part in Putin’s annual end of year press conference on December 19, Peskov said: "Our country and our president are the focus of increased interest from the global media." "And even though their interest stems from a one-sided, biased, paid-for and prejudiced agenda, an interest is still an interest and we need to take advantage of it in order to explain our truth through them and convey our position and our information through them," the Russian presidential spokesman noted.
"Let them hear it straight from the horse's mouth," he added.
However, it’s Russian journalists that are expected to ask the majority of questions, primarily members of the Kremlin pool, "who have been with the president for the entire year," the Kremlin spokesman pointed out. Meanwhile, Peskov stressed that all those present at the event would be given an opportunity to speak, including "reporters from the [Russian] regions, with the goal being to give as many regions as possible a voice, as well as bloggers and some online outlets." "They are now also part of the media; this is our reality, and they sometimes have large audiences comparable to those of TV channels," Peskov said.
Putin’s combined annual press conference and question-and-answer session will take place on December 19.