Ukrainian officials and ex-spies have fueled speculation that Putin is in poor health.
There is no evidence that Putin is unwell, according to US intel and military experts.
An expert said that the rumors may be a sign that the war would end after Putin died.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is rumored to be unwell and losing his grip.
The strongman, who is pushing 70, has spent years trying to cultivate a macho image by riding a horse without a shirt on, playing hockey, and showing off his judo moves. Putin has been thought of as a calculated, emotionless leader throughout his two decades in power. The bare-chested equestrian has seemed to have shifted his disposition since he launched an unprovoked, full-scale war in Ukraine. His cheeks are puffy and his speeches are filled with venom.
The war in Ukraine has been a disaster for the Russian military and many are wondering what caused Putin to make such a mistake. He is suffering from mental decline. Some people have said that Putin is seriously ill. There has been a lot of speculation over the health of the Russian leader.
Three intelligence and military experts in the US who spoke to Insider said they were not putting much weight on the theory that the Russian leader is in physical decline.
The former director for Russia on the National Security Council and an ex-CIA military analyst told Insider that he wasn't seeing anything to back up the idea that Putin is unwell.
The change in Putin's demeanor is a definite one, and it suggests that he is not comfortable.
In a matter of months, Putin is overseeing a war that is thought to have killed 15,000 Russian troops. A lot of Russian generals have been killed. Ukrainian roads have become graveyards for Russian tanks. The Russian military was expected to take control of Ukrainian forces in a few days.
The US and its allies have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia that have contributed to skyrocketing inflation and supply shortages reminiscent of the Soviet era. The head of Russia's central bank warned this week that the coming months would be difficult for both companies and citizens.
Putin has not given up. Russia watchers say that Putin will never abandon his goal of subjugating Ukrainians, as he has been obsessed with them for years. As long as he is in the Kremlin, Ukraine is in danger.
The public and intelligence community are interested in Putin's health because of his centralized power. Even US spy agencies are likely to be unaware of it, the experts said.
A number of questionable sources have given rise to the speculation over Putin's health.
In a May interview with Sky News, the military intelligence chief of Ukraine claimed that a coup was in the works and 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266
Christopher Steele, a former British spy, told Sky News that Putin's leadership is in jeopardy. Steele, who compiled the discredited dossier filled with salacious, unverified claims about Donald Trump's Russia ties, cited unnamed sources in Russia and elsewhere.
The top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee chimed in, saying it was obvious that something was off with Putin.
The fact that many of the recent claims on Putin's health have come from the Ukrainian military intelligence chief, who may be trying to undermine the Russian leader's authority, offers a reason to question their validity.
According to a report from the Russian outlet Proekt, Putin has chronic back problems, that he has been missing from public view for several days, and that he has traveled with an extensive medical team. It's not unusual for a 69-year-old autocrat to stay in power for life.
Kevin Ryan, a retired US brigadier general and former defense attache to Russia, said that the rampant speculation may be a sign that Putin's death would end the war. Ryan said he has not seen any evidence that Putin is close to death or that he is suffering from something that would cause him to die.
Ryan said that the war is not the creation of only Putin, but the ruling circle which supported him.
The discussion over Putin's health has been about his appearance and behavior in public.
The British tabloids have speculated that Putin has Parkinson's disease, and that he twitching his foot during meetings. Others have focused on Putin's bloated face as a sign that his health is in poor shape. These are not signs of a serious medical condition.
Ray Chadhuri, a neurologist at the University of London, said he couldn't find any evidence of parkinsonism in Putin after viewing a video clip of Putin with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, told Insider that he was struck by recent images of Putin showing him with a swollen face, which he said raised questions as to whether the Russian leader was receiving some form of treatment that was causing the swelling. Clapper doubts whether the US intelligence community knows whether he is ill or not, and he underscored that this is all circumstantial.
Clapper said that it is still a legitimate line of inquiry and that it is hard to come by.
The original article is on Business Insider.
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