Russian President Vladimir Putin is suffering from some kind of health complication, a former adviser to four US Presidents told Express.co.uk.
Kurt Volker, who served as George W. Bush’s last US Ambassador to NATO and a special envoy to Ukraine under Donald Trump, also condemned the Russian President’s “genocidal” mindset when it comes to the war.
The former White House adviser attended meetings with Putin present on more than one occasion while serving as US Permanent Representative to NATO in 2008 and 2009
Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “I do think he has some health issues. I remember particularly the Mayday parade last year where he was sitting under a blanket watching the parade.
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“This is not the same guy who was riding bare-chested on a horse. He clearly had some health issues last year and that has probably continued.
“We don’t know in detail what they are or how serious they are. We shouldn’t be planning policy on the assumption that he is ill.”
Independent media outlets have also made similar claims in the past. In April, Proekt reported that Putin regularly travels with an oncologist.
They also claimed that he bathed in deer antlers in an attempt to improve his health.
He added: “The more dramatic thing is that he had put his cards on the table now. He has staked his legacy on taking Ukraine.
“He has compared himself to Peter The Great, he says he is an accumulator of land, and he denies the existence of Ukraine as a state and identity.
“He clearly has a genocidal mindset. He isn’t going to back down or stop fighting. He believes he can win.
“This means he actually has to be defeated militarily. If that happens I do think that threatens his position in Russia because everyone else knows this is a crazy quest.
“If he fails, he will destroy the country. I don’t think he survives that.”
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