Putin answered more than 25 questions in two hours of the direct line

Russian President Vladimir Putin answered more than 25 questions on Thursday, December 19, two hours after the start of the "Results of the Year".

The questions concerned the situation in Kursk Region, payments to servicemen. The head of state spoke in detail about the Oreshnik missile system. In addition, Putin predicted GDP growth up to 4% in 2024 and called sovereignty an important pillar of any country.

The head of state also touched upon the situation with the spill of oil products, which occurred on December 15 in the Kerch Strait after the accident with tankers "Volgoneft-212" and "Volgoneft-239". Putin noted that this is an environmental disaster, emphasizing that law enforcement agencies are assessing the actions of the ships' captains.

The Russian leader also responded to a question from an American journalist of NBC News about his colleague Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago in Syria. Putin emphasized that he would talk to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on this topic. The head of state noted that there were active hostilities in the country and the question arises: does Assad himself know about the fate of the US citizen?

The direct line with Vladimir Putin in 2024 is combined with a press conference for the media. The format called "The Year's Results with Vladimir Putin" allows the president to convey his position not only on citizens' issues, but also on the state and world agenda, which is often asked about by journalists.

Representatives of Western media and foreign journalists accredited in Russia have also received invitations to the events. As of the morning of December 19, the number of requests sent to the direct line with the president exceeded 2 million. The first live broadcast was held in December 2001. By the President's own admission, this event is the most powerful sociological poll, which allows citizens to convey their position and assessment of the country's leadership.

The latest news about the "Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin - 2024" - in the Izvestia story.