Kathrine Frich
For years, rumors about Vladimir Putin’s physical condition have circulated alongside the conflict in Ukraine.
War has always created speculation about the health and stability of political leaders, especially when battles reach a critical stage.
A new video of the Russian president meeting Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has revived those questions once again.
Signs of strain
According to reporting shared by Express, the clip shows both leaders seated beneath national flags in a gilded Kremlin room.
Lukashenko appears at ease, leaning forward as he reiterates his offer to host Russia–Ukraine talks in Minsk.
Putin, however, shifts repeatedly. His feet tap against the floor, and his hands tighten into fists on his lap.
The short state-affiliated broadcast has drawn hundreds of thousands of views, with observers dissecting the gestures as potential indicators of tension.
Gerashchenko said: “Lukashenko suggested having the negotiations of Russia and Ukraine in Minsk. The body language of the two dictators is curious, Putin looks visibly more tense, keeps moving his feet and has hands clenched in fists. Lukashenko is more relaxed and looks in control.”
Rumours resurface
The renewed scrutiny fits a pattern dating back to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, when early Western intelligence whispers referenced possible spinal or pancreatic issues.
UK tabloids later suggested thyroid cancer or Parkinson’s disease, claims that have circulated periodically ever since.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine intensified the rumours.
As reported by various outlets at the time, anonymous Telegram channels alleged neurological disorders and abdominal tumours, citing supposed internal documents and shaky public appearances.
Further clips that year, including meetings where Putin gripped tables or showed trembling movements opposite senior officials, fuelled theories despite neurologists warning such footage was inconclusive.
Experts divided
Specialists have repeatedly urged caution. In 2022, King’s College London professor K. Ray Chaudhuri noted that Parkinson’s symptoms vary widely and cannot be diagnosed through online videos, adding: “Media speculation is unhelpful.”
Others have taken a different view. St George’s University oncology expert Angus Dalgleish pointed to instances of prolonged absences and reports of consultations with cancer doctors.
Ukrainian intelligence figures, including Kyrylo Budanov, have also referenced serious illness claims while acknowledging the lack of verifiable proof.
The Kremlin has consistently rejected all rumours. In 2022, spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed them as “fiction and untruth,” while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later insisted Putin appears publicly “every day.”
CIA Director William Burns added in 2023 that Putin was, in his assessment, “entirely too healthy.”
Political stakes
Even so, secrecy around medical records in Moscow has long fuelled suspicion.
Reports of body doubles, amplified by facial-recognition analyses noting subtle discrepancies, have added to the intrigue.
The latest clip emerges as Russian forces face mounting pressure and Western-backed Ukrainian units reclaim territory.
Analysts say any indication of instability at the top could influence elite decision-making, especially with the war’s trajectory seen as determining Putin’s political future.
Political commentator Valery Solovei, a frequent critic, recently claimed the president’s “thinness and persistent cough” unsettles those close to him.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in April that Putin “will die soon,” though he provided no evidence.
Sources: Express
