Vladimir Putin's health has been the subject of intense scrutiny over the last few months - with new video footage appearing to show his hands shaking adding to the rumour frenzy.
There have been unconfirmed suggestions that the Russian President is critically unwell, with everyone from Western doctors to armchair physicians pitching in to give their view. Speculation has only grown as Putin's invasion of Ukraine falters - with the Russian army falling far short of its aim to take Kyiv in four days.
The seemingly ill thought-out invasion has led many to muse whether a man once considered a master geopolitical strategist is plagued by poor health which is affecting his decision-making, the Mirror reports. One rumour that has hung over the 69-year-old leader since long before the invasion of Ukraine is that he has a condition affecting his central nervous system, such as Parkinson's.
Last week a video of Putin from mid-February welcoming Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko began to circulate - with the former KGB operative seen holding one hand to his chest while the other is in a fist. As his hand begins to tremor uncontrollably, Putin pulls it close to his chest, in an apparent attempt to stop the shaking.
The footage also appears to show him walking unsteadily towards his long-time ally, his legs continuing to tremble as he does so. The secretive Russian leader has said he "does not permit" any form of intrusion into his personal life - including medical information.
Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of M16, has pushed speculation that Putin is indeed ill, even if the exact condition is difficult to determine. He told GB News last month: "What’s also worrying is the speculation, and it is speculation, that maybe Putin’s behaviour, maybe his rationality is prejudiced or compromised by illness."
Does Putin have Parkinson's?
Parkinson's is a condition in which the brain loses nerve cells, causing problems like shaking and stiffness that get worse over time. Although there are now treatments to dampen its affects, there is no cure for the condition, which can lead to memory loss and make people more susceptible to deadly infections.
Some medical professionals have poured cold water on the Parkinson's theory however. John Hardy, a neurogeneticist at the UK Dementia Research Institute, told German news platform Deutsche Welle that the video did not suggest Parkinson's to him.
He said: "No sign of parkinsonism in my view. He did not look well…but not Parkinson's disease."
Ray Chadhuri, a neurologist at the University of London, agreed, saying: "Looking at the short clip, I can find no evidence that I can tell of parkinsonism in Putin." Caroline Rassell, chief executive of Parkinson's UK, said it is too complex of a condition with over 40 symptoms, both physical and mental, which would be impossible to judge by such a short clip.
Sir Richard Dearlove said he had spoken to "several neurologists" who said "loss of restrain, psychosis, are very common Parkinson’s symptoms". When asked whether the leader has Parkinson's, a spokesperson for the Kremlin dismissed the rumours as "absolute nonsense."
Does Putin have cancer?
Over the weekend Putin health watchers turned their attention away from the neurological disease towards cancer as a possible route cause of his seemingly declining health. It was reported that the Russian dictator will nominate hard-line Security Council head and ex-FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev to take control of the invasion while he undergoes cancer surgery.
The extraordinary claims appeared on popular Telegram channel General SVR, which says its source is a well-placed figure in the Kremlin. The mysteriously sourced claims tally with speculation that Putin's increasingly puffy face and round seeming head are the result of steroid use - a drug which can lead to inflammation and swelling, and is commonly used in the treatment of cancer.
The cancer claims are by no means new. When Putin's army first moved into Ukraine to take Crimea in 2014, speculation was rife that he had either spinal cord cancer or pancreatic cancer. Since then thyroid cancer, bowel cancer and a brain tumour have been added to the list of potential illnesses.
Angus Dalgleish, professor of Oncology at St George's, University of London, is a proponent of both the Parkinson's and cancer theories. He has said that the "flatness" of Putin's face and the clear "absence of emotion" he exhibits show that he is a Parkinson's sufferer.
Professor Dalgleish has also speculated that Putin has a thyroid issue, perhaps as a result of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The professor told GB News: “Also due to his judo etc, it is claimed that he has a very bad back and you can tell this by the way he walks. If he has had a very bad back for a long time, he is likely to have taken opiates which is a painkiller which had some effect on him."
Professor Dalgleish also speculated that Putin may have a brain tumour due to the way he had “acted and changed” in the last few years. He said: “Looking at him 2 or 3 years ago and now, there is a symmetry to his face.
“Which raises the question in my mind and the way he’s acted and changed his behaviour, his disconnect and cognitive problem is whether he has a brain tumour. Where he’s followed not just by a thyroid cancer specialist but that he’s being followed by a neurosurgeon."
Whether the speculation proves to be true - or merely the consequence of hope from those who desperately want his bloody reign to come to an end - will only become clear with time.
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