Vladimir Putin found himself facing unexpected challenges at his annual end-of-year press conference, as questions about the perceived “reality” of Russia were prominently displayed on screens throughout the venue.
The event, taking place in Moscow, allowed ordinary citizens the unique opportunity to pose questions to Putin, in addition to inquiries from journalists. Over the past two weeks, citizens submitted a staggering 2 million questions for the Russian president, as reported by state media.
Questions in text form were also sent via SMS, and although Putin did not directly address them, they were projected onto screens mounted on the walls of the conference hall.
This unconventional approach, however, revealed a divergence from the meticulously orchestrated nature of the press conference, designed more as a spectacle than a platform for critical scrutiny.
Among the displayed messages challenging the official narrative, one boldly questioned Putin’s version of “reality” compared to the daily experiences of ordinary citizens: “Why is your ‘reality’ at odds with our lived reality?”
The unexpected inquiry underscored a departure from the scripted nature of the event, injecting an element of unpredictability into the proceedings.
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