Putin will skip election debates again, the Kremlin says: “The Russians already know his positions” | outside

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Putin is “fundamentally different” from other candidates because of his “very busy agenda” as president. In addition, Peskov asserts that “citizens see his positions on all aspects of Russian life almost every day,” and therefore Putin does not need to discuss these issues.

The news doesn't really come as a surprise. For example, Putin, who wants to become president for a fifth time, has never participated in election debates. The president does not need debates either, as he is almost certain of his victory.

Elections will be held in Russia from March 15 to 17. The Russian Electoral Commission officially registered four candidates: Putin, Leonid Slutsky of the far-right Liberal Democratic Party, Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, and Vladislav Davankov of the centrist New People's Party. All candidates are pro-Kremlin and support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The only candidate who was an outspoken opponent of the war, 60-year-old Boris Nadezhdin, was disqualified last week. The Electoral Commission ruled that 15 percent of his submitted signatures were invalid. Nadezhdin has now gone to the Russian Supreme Court in an attempt to appeal the decision.