Vladimir Putin is “quite seriously ill,” said former British spy Christopher Steele, who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election.
“Certainly, from what we hear from sources in Russia and elsewhere, Putin is actually quite seriously ill,” the former British spy said in an interview with Sky News on Sunday.
However, Mr Steele said it was not possible to determine exactly what the disease was.
“It is not clear what exactly this disease is – whether it is incurable, terminal, or whatever. But I certainly think that’s part of the equation, “he added.
The remarks came after the American magazine New Lines claimed to have received an audio recording of a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin, who told a Western venture capitalist that the Russian leader was “very ill with blood cancer.”
An unnamed oligarch, whose identity and voice, according to the magazine, can be easily verified, was scheduled to discuss Putin’s health in mid-March.
The Kremlin says the Russian president is in shape and well.
The recording shows the oligarch saying Putin had a back operation related to his blood cancer shortly before ordering the invasion of Ukraine, which he called a “special military operation.”
The oligarch added that the president has gone crazy.
Just days earlier, Ukrainian Major General Kirill Budanov said the Russian leader was seriously ill with cancer and that a coup was being carried out in Russia to remove him.
In an interview, Mr. Budanov said that in addition to cancer, the Russian leader is fighting other diseases.
New Lines magazine reported that the FSB headquarters, Russia’s internal security agency, had sent a “top-secret note” to all of its regional directors, instructing regional chiefs not to trust rumors of the president’s final state.
Mr Steele, citing speculation, said: “When you see this happening, you think it’s probably true. So I think there’s an element of his illness involved [the decision to invade Ukraine] and his inheritance. “
The former British spy said that even if Putin was ill, it could still be difficult for anyone else to influence his approach.
“In general, there are very few people who are ready to oppose or argue with President Putin.” is developing well for Russia, and we can only hope that this will lead to some policy change or even regime change over time, but it is certainly not a given.
Putin’s body language was carefully scrutinized by body language experts during Russia’s Victory Day celebrations last week, following speculation about his health.
They concluded that the puffiness on his face and his unstable gait may suggest that he had used some form of medicine to treat the disease.
In April, Mr Putin was seen awkwardly clutching a table for the entire 12-minute video of a meeting he had with his defense minister.
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