(ConservativeSense.com) – Speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health has surfaced online following his interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson. Of particular note to many commentators was a moment when Mr. Putin appeared to use his hand to steady his leg, with many stating that it may demonstrate anxiety or nervousness. “Putin had to touch his leg to calm it down to stop it from moving,” wrote one person on Twitter, with others responding that it is not the first time Putin has exhibited such behaviors.
Last February, there was similar speculation when a video clip emerged of a meeting between President Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. The clip showed constant movement of Putin’s legs and feet and prompted questions about his physical and mental health. A Twitter user who regularly posts on Ukraine and Russia to 140,000 followers said the Russian leader was losing control of his legs and is “medically sick.”
Another noted that Putin usually sits or stands behind a desk when he is speaking in Russia, but in circumstances where his legs are exposed, shaking is frequently seen.
Commentary surrounding the Russian President’s health is common and has increased in recent years. In 2022, a security service defector leaked that doctors had given Putin just three years to live and said he is suffering from “a severe form of rapidly progressing cancer.”
The source claimed that Mr. Putin needs cards with large letters to read from when he speaks because his eyesight is failing, and his limbs “shake uncontrollably.”
Western doctors observing the Russian leader’s behavior speculate that he may also be suffering from Parkinson’s disease – an illness of the nervous system that is marked by tremors, slow and imprecise movements, and muscular rigidity.
The Kremlin has dismissed all rumors about the President’s ill health as “absolute nonsense.” A spokesperson also said claims that Putin uses body doubles for some appearances are false, calling them “absurd” and “misinformation.”
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