Vladimir Putin’s campaign headquarters has officially informed Russia’s Central Election Commission that he will not participate in pre-election debates, reports TASS.
Putin is running for the Russian presidency for the fifth time; however, he has never participated in debates during election season.
When asked why Putin would not be taking part in the debates, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists the following:
Russians have the opportunity to see Putin’s statements on all aspects of Russian life practically on a daily basis. Putin is the acting head of state, who lives under a very busy presidential schedule. This is a fundamental difference between him and the other candidates.