Support The Moscow Times!

Yakemenko Skips Interview

Vasily Yakemenko, head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs and founder of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi, ditched a prearranged online conference call with readers of Gazeta.ru on Thursday.

Yakemenko was unable to attend because he had other meetings scheduled, his spokeswoman Kristina Potupchik said in a statement, Gazeta.ru reported. No new date for the interview was set.

“Yakemenko chose to solve problems of young people, not talk to them,” Potupchik wrote on her Twitter page.

About 400 questions, many of them critical, were posted on Gazeta.ru’s web site since Yakemenko agreed to the interview Nov. 24. He slammed many of the questions as pointless and offensive earlier this week. 

(MT)


Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more