Of . – 06/17/2022 15:06 (act 06/18/2022 16:01)
Again and again there are rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be sick. ©REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly presents himself as a powerful male. But it has long been speculated that the Kremlin chief is seriously ill.
Due to the Russian attack on Ukraine and the threat of nuclear war, the question of the 69-year-old’s health has become immensely important.
The Russian-language news website Proekt published an extensive survey of Putin’s health in April. Based on an analysis of publicly available sources, Proekt came to the conclusion that during his stays in Sochi, several doctors always traveled to the resort – including a specialist in thyroid cancer.
Currently, there are many rumors surrounding Putin’s health.
The Kremlin has set up an office in Sochi similar to its Moscow suburban residence, Proekt said. This is intended to give the impression that the head of state is in Moscow, while in fact he is recovering in the Black Sea. To keep fit, the president bathes in the blood of Siberian deer, says the article.
Accompanied Putin to the bathroom on visits to Saudi Arabia and France
The French weekly Paris Match recently reported that a team accompanied Putin every time he went to the toilet during his visits to Saudi Arabia in 2019 and France in 2017. This ensured that no one could analyze his excretions to draw conclusions about his health status. head of state.
Kremlin chief reportedly underwent cancer treatment
Putin underwent treatment for advanced cancer in April, even writing the US magazine “Newsweek” in June, citing US intelligence. The US National Security Council has denied the existence of such dossiers.
The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview with Sky News in mid-May that the Kremlin chief was suffering from cancer but had no evidence.
Photos of Putin clinging to the table are fueling rumors
Videos of Putin’s foot twitching or clinging to the table – possibly to stifle a tremor – fueled rumors that the head of state was ill. However, in his recent public appearances, the Kremlin chief has shown no signs of physical weakness.
The only time the Kremlin confirmed the president’s health problems was in the fall of 2012. Putin’s clumsy movements have been explained as having pulled a muscle. For a while, he avoided the public and canceled appointments.
Irritations about Putin’s behavior in the corona pandemic
Putin’s behavior in the corona pandemic caused irritation. The Kremlin said the president was vaccinated. However, pictures of the vaccination – like almost every other head of state – have not been published.
Contact persons had to comply with the strictest precautions, including a multi-day quarantine. Visitors who refused these conditions, such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, were banned to the end of an excessively long table. Those who met the requirements, on the other hand, were allowed to shake the Kremlin chief’s hand or even hug him.
Big efforts to protect Putin from corona infection
In other ways, too, great efforts have been made in recent years to protect Putin from a corona infection. To this day, he conducts most of his political conversations via video.
The Kremlin vehemently denies any claim that the Russian president is seriously ill. “I don’t think reasonable people can see signs of illness or illness in this person,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with French TV channel TF1 in late May, explaining that Putin appeared in public “all the days”. .