Russian President Vladimir Putin is “entirely healthy” despite “many rumours” about his health, according to a top US intelligence official.
“There are a lot of rumors about President Putin’s health and, as far as we know, he is totally healthy,” said CIA Director Bill Burns, when asked directly whether Putin is sick or unstable.
Burns acknowledged that his public comments at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Wednesday were not “a formal intelligence trial.”
Putin recently appeared in photos with some apparent facial swelling that has led to speculation that he may be undergoing medical treatment for an unknown ailment.
The Kremlin had previously denied rumors of illness.
“I don’t think any sane person can see in this person signs of any kind of illness or disease. I leave it to the conscience of those who spread such rumours, despite the daily opportunities to ensure who looks like in this world,” said the Russian. Minister Sergei Lavrov told French broadcaster TF1 in May.
Some background: When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, US politicians and former diplomats openly speculated about Putin’s stability.
From using a huge table during conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron after he refused a Russian Covid-19 test, to delivering a speech filled with conspiracy theories to justify invading Ukraine, some of Putin’s behavior borders on the bizarre.
According to a report by CNN published in March, US officials are also “warned by the possibility that Putin’s strategy is to project instability, in an attempt to pressure the US and allies into giving him what he wants for fear he might do worse.”
When asked in March if there have been any noticeable changes in Putin’s behavior, psychiatrist Dr. Kenneth Dekleva told CNN, “Yes and no.” Dekleva, who previously worked at the US Embassy in Moscow and specializes in political psychology/leadership analysis for national security purposes, said Putin’s behavior is a sign of frustration. with the pace of the Russian invasion.
“I don’t think he’s erratic or altered, but he’s certainly in more of a hurry,” Dekleva said. more like Slobodan Milosevic,” added Dekleva, comparing Putin to the Serbian autocrat who died in The Hague in 2006 while awaiting trial for war crimes.
Uliana Pavlova, Sarah Diab and Zachary B. Wolf of CNN contributed to this story.
Source: CNN Brasil
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