Russia’s President Vladimir Putin delayed his annual phone-in session with Russian citizens.
According to the state-run Tass news agency, the session, called Direct Line, will not be held in June.
"The Direct Line cannot be held this month," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He noted that the date of the event "has not yet been determined," but "routine preparations are underway.”
"This is a very complex, extensive event. So the routine preparations are underway but they will enter the final phase only after the date is determined,” Peskov said.
Peskov said it will be held no earlier than July. Newsweek noted that the Direct Line has frequently taken place in June. Last year it was held on June 30.
According to Insider, which attributed its information to Tass, about 3 million Russians attempt to talk to Putin during the phone-in session each year.
The Direct Line sessions have run more than four hours.
Insider reported that it is the first in 18 years that the session has been postponed.
The unexpected delay comes amid unconfirmed reports that Putin is seriously ill. A classified U.S. intelligence report said Putin underwent treatment in April for advanced cancer, Newsweek had reported.
The news outlet attributed the information to three U.S. intelligence leaders who have read the report. The report said Putin seems to have re-emerged after undergoing the treatment.
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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