Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently had his health called into question. Some claiming that the 68 year old is showing signs of Parkinson's disease (1). Where have these claims come from and what information do we have to look at?
The original claims come from un-named “Kremlin observers” who have been looking into recent footage of the President where they say he appears to be in pain while clutching the armrest of his chair, and noticed his legs were in constant motion, along with twitching fingers as he grips his pen (2)(3). Moscow political scientist Professor Valery Solovei added further speculation to Putin’s Parkinson’s fears and speaking to Thesun.co.uk saying that, “There is a family, it has a great influence on him. He intends to make public his handover plans in January” (4). Adding that his family / daughters have been pressuring him to quit.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov slammed the report given by Professor Valery Solovei as false and “absolute nonsense” (5), saying that “Everything is fine with the President” (6) and even going so far as to deny any chance of Putin stepping down in January of next year (7,8).
A short article by medicalnewstoday.com does agree that, “ A walk that shows a marked reduction in arm swing on just one side is a diagnostic sign for a number of disorders, including Erb’s palsy (a paralysis of the arm caused by nerve damage), stroke, and Parkinson’s disease.” (9). However later on say that despite this Putin's walk has remained consistent over a number of years and that the walk itself may be to do with KGB training, which dictates keeping a firearm close and tight to the left of your body, which the observers also agree with, and point to. (10)
-Trent Naz
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(1) Biography.com, E., 2020. Vladimir Putin. [online] Biography. Available at: <https://www.biography.com/political-figure/vladimir-putin> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(2) Parker, N., 2020. Vladimir Putin ‘To Resign Early Next Year Amid Fears He Has Parkinson’s’. [online] The Sun. Available at: <https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13122054/vladamir-putin-resign-next-year-health/> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(3) Businesstoday.in. 2020. Russian President Vladimir Putin To Step Down? Observers Say He’s Got A Serious Disease. [online] Available at: <https://www.businesstoday.in/current/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-step-down-observers-got-serious-disease/story/421258.html> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(4) Parker, N., 2020. Vladimir Putin ‘To Resign Early Next Year Amid Fears He Has Parkinson’s’. [online] The Sun. Available at: <https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13122054/vladamir-putin-resign-next-year-health/> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(5,6) (QUOTES) Reuters, S., 2020. UK Media Report That Putin Is Ill And Poised To Quit Is Nonsense, Says Kremlin. [online] U.S. Available at: <https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-putin-health-idUKKBN27M17H> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(7) Reuters, S., 2020. UK Media Report That Putin Is Ill And Poised To Quit Is Nonsense, Says Kremlin. [online] U.S. Available at: <https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-putin-health-idUKKBN27M17H> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(8) TASS. 2020. Putin Not Planning To Resign, Kremlin Says. [online] Available at: <https://tass.com/politics/1220617> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(9) Medicalnewstoday.com. 2020. Putin’s Unusual Walk: KGB Or Parkinson’s?. [online] Available at: <https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/304053#Unilaterally-reduced-arm-swing-pathology> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
(10) Benedictus, L., 2015. Walk Like The KGB: Get Vladimir Putin’S ‘Gunslinger Gait’. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2015/dec/16/walk-like-the-kgb-get-vladamir-putins-gunslinger-gait> [Accessed 8 November 2020].
