Many people have been speculating about the health of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, with some suggesting he may have cancer.
Though he has been a prominent leader on the world stage for over two decades, his illegal and horrific war on his neighbor Ukraine has thrown him into the spotlight more than ever.
Hundreds of civilians have already died, along with thousands of combatants, with countries around the world bringing in sanctions to try and deter an escalation of the conflict. With Vladimir Putin appearing more often on our screens some people have started to speculate that the Russian leader may not be in the best of health with some suggesting he may have cancer or Parkinson's disease.
It should be stressed that there is no hard evidence to confirm these rumors but given the prominent, and frankly terrible, impact he is having on world events at the moment it is worth at least looking at what people are saying.
'Putin's puffy eyes may indicate cancer'
In recent TV appearances, Vladimir Putin has appeared noticeably more bloated around the face and neck. The Telegraph suggested that this could be because " he may be undergoing treatment with steroids". Back in November 2020 the Russian leader had a severe coughing fit on television which the Kremlin later edited.
The Telegraph quoted Fiona Hill, the British former senior White House expert on Russia, who said: "He’s been rather puffy-faced. We know that he has complained about having back issues. Even if it’s not something worse than that, it could be that he’s taking high doses of steroids, or there may be something else. There for this [invasion] that may be also driven by personal factors."
The Daily Star has quoted an "ex-military intelligence officer now working at the Pentagon" as saying they think Vladimir Putin is living in pain which may be a result of cancer, with his face being a sign he is taking chemotherapy drugs or steroids and his unsmiling expression showing he is in constant pain.
The source said: “In the past we have seen him smile, but in 2022 there are few pictures of him looking happy. His look suggests he is in pain and our people suggest his angry look is most likely as a result of him being in agony. Our people are confident he is ill – he is concerned about Covid as he keeps his staff at a distance.”
Why the long table?
Given that Putin built his person strongman brand by taking part in photoshoots where he was photographed topless on a horse, it seems a little strange that he is now photographed at the end of a long table with no one within several feet of him. This was particularly evident when he met President Macron of France recently and the pair were sat 13ft apart. He also meets with senior people in his own government in the same manner.
Some have suggested that the reason for the strict distancing is that Mr Putin is immunocompromised and would be at substantial risk if he was to catch Covid or another illness.
Does Vladimir Putin have Parkinson's disease?
This rumour has been circulating for several years after historian Professor Valery Solovei claimed that Putin had the degenerative disease.
“If anyone is interested in the exact diagnosis, I'm not a doctor, and I have no ethical right to reveal these problems," he said, The Sun reported. ”Parkinson’s does not threaten physical state, but just limits public appearances. But there is a fatal diagnosis."
The claim was vigorously rejected at the time by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov who said: “It’s absolute nonsense, everything is fine with the president.”
What other hints are there about Putin's health?
Some commentators have pointed to comments made by the Republican senator Marco Rubio, who suggested "something is off" with the Russian leader.
Mr Rubio sees classified intelligence and has been on the record saying: "I wish I could share more, but for now, I can say it’s pretty obvious to many that something is off with Putin."
It should be stressed that none of this amounts to definite proof. However, given the misinformation machine that the Russian state has become it makes attempts to dispel these rumours by Putin's administration hard for many to swallow as much of what they say is viewed with skepticism (Putin was denying the fact he had any plans to invade Ukraine until right before he did).
