Putin forced to hold down his shaking leg in Tucker Carlson interview

09 February 2024 , 08:46

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Putin forced to hold down his shaking leg in Tucker Carlson interview

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to use his hand to control his shaking leg during the two-hour interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, prompting speculation about his health.

Putin, 71, was observed needing to control his wandering leg, prompting him to use his hand to calm it down, while also experiencing coughing fits and throat clearing. These moments came alongside bombshell assertions, including claims of Russia's possession of superior "supersonic missiles" and labelling Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as a "spy."

Concerns about the Russian President's physical demeanour were raised again previously, such as when he made odd grimaces during a meeting with Belarusian President Lukashenko on January 28. Some questioned his well-being, suggesting he appeared confused.

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Putin was forced to hold down his shaking leg during the interview (TCN)

Despite persistent rumours circulating about Putin's health, including allegations of a fall-related cardiac arrest or cancer necessitating the use of body doubles, the Kremlin has consistently dismissed these claims.

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Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, repeated that Putin is in good health, labelling such rumours as "fake news" and asserting that they only bring amusement to the Kremlin.

Peskov said: "Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake [rumour]. These [stories] belong to the category of fake news, discussed with enviable tenacity by a number of media outlets. This brings nothing but a smile [in the Kremlin]."

Speculations about Putin's health have been raised before. In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leaked documents alleged that Putin had early-stage Parkinson's disease and pancreatic cancer, causing him pain as well as "a state of puffiness of the face and other side effects - including memory lapses." The claims were denied by Russian officials.

Nevertheless, despite the ongoing speculation, reactions to Putin's appearance during the interview were mixed. While some on social media platforms like X, ( Twitter ), commented on his apparent good health, others remained sceptical, recalling past rumours about his well-being.

One user with the handle @RealCalvinX said: "Didn’t they say Putin had cancer and was in very poor health? Seems pretty good to me." Another, with the handle @richardbteed, wrote: "Putin sure does look healthy to me. What about all that chatter about his health."

This was Putin’s first interview with a Western media figure since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Most of the interview, released Thursday on Tucker Carlson Network, was focused on Ukraine, where the war is nearing the two-year mark.

Putin repeated his claim that his invasion of Ukraine, which Kyiv and its allies described as an unprovoked act of aggression, was necessary to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and prevent the country from posing a threat to Russia by joining NATO.

Putin gives an interview to US talk show host Tucker Carlson (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin pointed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's refusal to conduct talks with the Kremlin. He argued that it's up to Washington to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and convince Kyiv, which he called a US "satellite," to sit down for negotiations. Putin said: "We have never refused negotiations. You should tell the current Ukrainian leadership to stop and come to a negotiating table."

Putin warned that the West will never succeed in inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia in Ukraine and rejected allegations that Russia was harbouring plans to attack Poland or other NATO countries.

Vassia Barba