Speculation is growing over the condition of the 69-year-old president but Kremlin denies he is in bad health
www.independent.co.uk
The Russian president has been dogged by claims of his failing health in recent months, fueled by footage of his bloated face, slouching posture, and constant gripping of objects for support.
Visegrad24, which first published the footage online, said it was “probably the clearest video of something being wrong with Putin’s health”.
Rory Cellan-Jones, the BBC’s former technology correspondent, who announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s himself, also said he believed it to be symptomatic of the disease.
A clip from last week showed the Kremlin leader grabbing hold of the corner of the table with his right hand as soon as he sits down for the meeting, and keeps hold of it for the entirety of the 12 minute clip. Mr Putin can also be seen intermittently holding the edge of the table with his left hand while speaking to defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
Sir Richard Dearlove – former MI6 head – and Professor Gwythian Prins – previously a Nato adviser – have claimed that Mr Putin has shown signs of the progressive nervous system disorder.
