A man who once taught Vladimir Putin body language tricks to help him be respected on the world stage, says the Russian leader's "diseased brain" now threatens to destroy the world.
Body language expert Allan Pease met Putin more than 30 years ago when he and his wife spotted a gap in the market after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The Australian met the then-39-year-old in 1991 in his home city of St Petersburg, having originally gone over to Russia to met President Boris Yeltsin.
Yeltsin failed to show so the couple rearranged their meeting to be with Anatoly Sobchak, the first officially-elected politician in Russia.
But Sobchak sent his deputy in his place - Vladimir Putin.
Mr Pease told The Sun : "[Putin] was a fast learner, and quickly took onboard what I taught him. Later, I saw him using those same techniques I taught him on body language on TV."
He added that he taught him a crucial power pose to make him feel more confident.
Mr Pease said: "You put your hands together like a church steeple and lean back. Grin without showing your teeth.
"This stance makes you seem confident and in control of your own emotions. If you adopt this stance - even if you feel nervous, it has an effect."
He added that in recent weeks Putin's body language has changed significantly.
Mr Pease said: "He's put a lot of weight on, he's carrying a lot of fat. Rumours among many of my friends in Russia are that he has colon cancer. Weight gain is often a symptom of treatment.
"He is no longer the confident 'managing director' in charge, he's a guy who is keeping everyone at a distance.
"Clearly, there is something going on in his head. He doesn't want to be around people."
Recent photos of Putin have appeared to show him with a more bloated face, which some suggest mean he might be under a steroid treatment for a condition.
It has been speculated that steroids could be part of a treatment for potential back issues.
The side effects of steroids include mood swings and behavioural changes.
A high dose of steroids can even cause confusion or changes in thinking, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.
The charity says: "This can include having strange or frightening thoughts."
Fiona Hill, the British former senior White House expert on Russia, told Politico : "Putin’s not looking so great, 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 seems to be an urgency for this that may be also driven by personal factors."
She added: "He may have a sense that time is marching on - it’s 22 years (in power), after all, and the likelihood after that kind of time of a Russian leader leaving voluntarily or through elections is pretty slim."
