Does Vladimir Putin have Parkinson's?
An appearance in Moscow fueled rumors about the state of health of the Russian head of state.
Moscow – A video of Vladimir Putin is again causing a stir on the Internet.
A clip from a meeting between Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow on Friday (February 17) shows the Russian head of state moving his legs and feet in a somewhat strange way.
The video immediately fueled speculation as to whether this could possibly be an indication of Parkinson's disease,
writes
fr.de.
"Looks like something is wrong," commented the news portal
Visegrád24
on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Twitter user Tendar, who has more than 140,000 followers and frequently shares updates on Ukraine and Russia, wrote that Putin had a "persistent problem controlling his legs and arms" during the meeting with Lukashenko.
For Tendar, the matter is clear: “This man is medically ill.
Russia's losing war will surely accelerate its deteriorating condition.”
Putin met with Lukashenko today and couldn't control his legs.
Looks like something is wrong.
Via @Gerashchenko_en pic.twitter.com/SifDSqHAVs
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 17, 2023
Another Twitter user wrote: "When he's in Russia his legs are always under a table or desk and he's holding the desk or a pen to hide the shaking... here he's sitting exposed on the chair so he can't." meanwhile, Adin of Crimea suspected that it could be a sign of Parkinson's disease.
This cannot be verified independently.
And in the Ukraine war, both sides overwhelm each other with propaganda.
Does Putin have Parkinson's?
Regardless, speculation continues that Putin may have Parkinson's disease, a disease that can cause spasms, convulsions, and dystonia, or involuntary over-movement.
Richard Dearlove also believes in it.
In an interview with The Sun
newspaper in early February, the former head of British intelligence agency MI6
pointed out: "I'm not a medical doctor but I know a number of people have been watching him closely and they think Parkinson's is the most likely explanation .
There's no evidence, but he's showing a variety of symptoms.
If he does have Parkinson's, it can certainly affect his judgement.”
Since the start of the Ukraine war, there have been numerous reports that Putin has Parkinson's or cancer.
Dearlove also pointed out in the
Sun
interview: "The two most common diagnoses that can be given remotely are either Parkinson's or blood cancer.
Or maybe both,” says Dearlove.
"But the Russians are desperate to keep Putin's health a state secret."
Ukraine convinced of Putin's Parkinson's disease
Russia has long denied that Putin could be ill.
In May 2022, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov vehemently rejected this notion: "I don't think that reasonable people can recognize signs of illness or disease."
Vladimir Putin: The political career of the Russian head of state in pictures
Vladimir Putin: The political career of the Russian head of state in pictures
Ukraine sees it differently.
As early as 2022, Kyrylo Budanov said that Putin was suffering from several serious illnesses.
And when asked by
ABC News
in January 2023 whether Putin was terminally ill and would die very soon, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence service succinctly replied: "Of course."
(cs)