Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov has denied that Vladimir Putin is critically in poor health within the wake of quite a few stories suggesting that the Russian chief has most cancers.
“You realize, President Putin seems in public day by day. You’ll be able to see him on the screens, learn his speeches, hearken to his speeches,” Lavrov mentioned, talking to French media TF1. “I don’t suppose sane individuals can discern any type of symptom of illness on this man.”
Lavrov’s remarks usually are not the primary time the Russian authorities has been pressured to disclaim stories about Putin’s well being.
Final week, a former British spy who labored in Russia for a few years, Christopher Steele, mentioned Putin was “critically in poor health” and claimed his illness was “a component” in Russia invading Ukraine.
Earlier in Might, New Strains Journal obtained what it mentioned was a recording of an oligarch near the Kremlin who claimed Putin is “very in poor health with blood most cancers.” That piece got here out after each regional director of Russia’s FSB safety service reportedly obtained an electronic mail on March 13 instructing them to not consider rumors concerning the president’s “terminal situation.”
In March, the Kremlin additionally rushed to disclaim rumors of Putin’s in poor health well being and psychological pressure, with Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov insisting the president’s emotional state was “regular.”
Nonetheless, an investigation by Russian investigative outlet Proekt in April discovered that the Russian chief suffers from continual again ache and {that a} specialist oncologist had visited Putin 35 occasions in 4 years. It additionally discovered that the president’s medical entourage virtually doubled in measurement between 2017 and 2019.
Peskov stepped in once more after that report, calling such claims “fiction and untruth.”
It did little to cease the rumor mill from turning. In Might, Former KGB agent Boris Karpichkov informed the Solar — with out proof — that he believes Putin is affected by “quite a few” illnesses together with dementia and Parkinson’s.
It got here after weeks of tabloid hypothesis concerning the president’s well being, with quite a few media retailers pointing to Putin gripping maintain of a desk whereas trying uncomfortable throughout a gathering, and showing to limp throughout Russia’s Victory Day parade. It has additionally been steered that the president’s visibly bloated look might be attributable to using steroids, which can be utilized towards most cancers.
The favored Telegram channel Common SVR, which claims to be run by a former Russian Overseas Intelligence Service (SVR) lieutenant normal, claimed that the Russian chief had not too long ago undergone surgical procedure throughout which he had handed over the reins to Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Safety Council.
However consultants have largely agreed to date that the proof round Putin’s well being is inadequate. Three U.S. army and intelligence consultants informed Enterprise Insider such rumors weren’t credible.
