The Real Reason Vladimir Putin Is Transferring Power To A Government Official
Footage of Russian president Vladimir Putin meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, in February has caused some to be suspicious of Putin's health. In the footage, he seems to have tremors in his legs and hands, per The Independent. The 69-year-old's health was also called into question after footage was shown of him gripping a table, tapping his foot, slouching, and looking bloated while meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, per Newsweek.
Some people on social media seem to think Putin is showing signs of having Parkinson's disease, though some doctors weren't on board with that, via DW. After seeing the footage, neurogeneticist John Hardy told DW "No sign of parkinsonism in my view. He did not look well ... but not Parkinson's disease," and other doctors confirmed that without an actual examination, there's no way to know. There does, however, seem to be some recent confirmation from Russia that Putin is not the picture of health, and he will reportedly have to transfer power during surgery.
Vladimir Putin is reportedly having cancer surgery
Russian president Vladimir Putin is reportedly getting cancer surgery, and while he's under the knife and recovering, power will allegedly be given to the head of the Security Council of Russia, Nikolai Patrushev, according to the New York Post. Patrushev is a former KGB officer and has been instrumental in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, per The Federal. One Russian political analyst has called Patrushev "the most dangerous man in Russia," via Twitter.
While at the time of writing, it's not yet confirmed what cancer the surgery is for, there might be some clues as to what it could be. Putin has been visited by a surgeon specializing in thyroid cancer 35 times over four years, according to an investigation by the independent Russian media outlet Proekt. They also uncovered the fact that Putin apparently bathes in antler blood as a way to stay young and healthy. They even outlined the times that Putin has been out of the public eye in recent years, potentially for health reasons, but that wasn't the cause disclosed by the Russian government.