VIDEO: Peskov is to Blame, Says Putin

During a concluding conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin jokingly blamed his press secretary Dmitry Peskov for the inability of Western media to attend events he participates in for over a year. According to Putin, it is precisely Peskov's fault that Western journalists are not allowed to participate in the press conference.

"I am a person with open and democratic convictions," Putin explained to a journalist from The New York Times. He also mentioned that there is a complex dialogue taking place regarding the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist from The Wall Street Journal. "The American side needs to listen to us," the state leader concluded.