During a meeting with Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin was seen bizarrely twisting his ankle and apparently struggling with a twitching leg, further fueling rumors of the Russian despot’s health problems.
As the leaders sat down for talks at a Russian space base, video footage showed Putin repeatedly raising and lowering his left foot as his knee collapsed inward.
Putin later changed his position in the chair, but his left foot appeared to continue to move erratically as the North Korean leader told him he was waging a “holy war” with the West and that their two countries would fight together against “imperialism.”
As part of Kim’s rare state visit, the two leaders will discuss supplying Russia with much-needed artillery shells and anti-tank missiles to support Putin’s grueling war in Ukraine.
The 70-year-old Kremlin chief had been dogged by claims of deteriorating health long before he ordered the invasion of Ukraine. But in the 18 months since, the rumors have only increased as the war appears to have taken its toll.
New footage shows Vladimir Putin bizarrely twisting his ankle and appearing to struggle with a twitching leg during his meeting with Kim Jong Un, further adding to rumors that the Russian despot is struggling with a sharp deterioration in his health
As the two dictators sat down for a meeting at a Russian space base, video shows Putin repeatedly raising and then lowering his left foot as his knee collapses inward
Putin later changed his position in the chair, but his left foot appeared to continue to move erratically as Kim told the Russian leader he was waging a “holy war” with the West and that their two countries would fight together against “imperialism.”
In other footage of meetings and appearances, Putin can be seen clinging to a table for support, seemingly kicking his feet uncontrollably and looking unsteady as he walks.
And now the video of Putin bizarrely twisting his left foot during the sit-down meeting with Kim will not help dispel the rumors about his deteriorating health.
Parkinson’s disease – a brain disorder that affects motor skills – is a condition frequently cited by commentators that Putin could face.
Restless legs syndrome, an uncontrollable urge to move the lower limbs and feet, is a common symptom in Parkinson’s patients.
Earlier today, the Russian warmonger enthusiastically shook Kim’s hand as soon as he stepped out of his black limousine and said he was “very happy to see him.”
Putin then showed Kim these rockets at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s advanced space rocket launch site, located amid the forests of eastern Russia.
The leaders, both of whom are known to be paranoid about assassination attempts, were flanked by a number of bodyguards during the visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
The two men later met in person, while Kim told Putin that Russia was waging a “holy” war with the West.
“Russia has waged a holy struggle to protect its sovereignty and security … against the hegemonic forces,” Kim said.
He is one of the few world leaders who has remained loyal to the despot since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“We will always support the decisions of President Putin and the Russian leadership… and we will stand together in the fight against imperialism.”
But during that meeting, Putin’s leg began to twitch seemingly uncontrollably, and the Russian despot twisted his foot up and down in a bizarre manner.
Last year, during a meeting with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, Putin was seen limping off a plane in Iran with his arm limp and also twisting his ankle like he did with Kim.
Tremors are one of the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – a condition that Hitler is believed to have suffered from towards the end of World War II.
As Putin sat down with Lukashenko, he was also seen holding onto the armrest of his chair – perhaps to prevent further shaking.
He was also shown moving back and forth in his chair and repeatedly tapping the floor with both feet while clutching an armrest with one hand during a rambling speech to young Russians.
At a meeting with his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu a few weeks later, he struck a similar pose, this time holding onto the edge of the table.
Then there was an Easter Sunday mass where he made unusual movements with his lips while listening to the service.
He could be seen making the same lip movements as he walked with Shoigu to lay a wreath after the Victory Parade in May.
Putin held onto the arm of his chair during a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko earlier this year after footage showed his arm shaking
APRIL 21, 2022: Putin holds his desk with his right hand as he meets with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the start of the war. Footage of the meeting raised questions about Putin’s health
Vladimir Putin (center) watched part of the Victory Day parade in Moscow last year with a blanket over his lap while war veterans sat uncovered around him
Critics and Kremlin sources have suggested he may be suffering from cancer or Parkinson’s disease, supported by footage showing the leader shaking uncontrollably and clutching a table for support.
He also disappeared from public view for weeks, saying he was undergoing surgery.
Valery Solovey, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Affairs, initially hinted at Putin’s health problems. He said in 2020 that Putin had surgery for cancer.
Another unnamed source suggested the operation was on Putin’s stomach.
Solovey said: “One is psychoneurological in nature, the other is a cancer problem.” If anyone is interested in the exact diagnosis, I am not a doctor and have no ethical right to disclose these problems.
“The second diagnosis is much, much more dangerous than the first diagnosis because Parkinson’s does not endanger the physical condition, but only limits public appearances.”
“Using this information, people can draw conclusions about his life horizons that would not even require specialized medical training.”
The Kremlin has consistently denied that there is anything wrong with Putin’s health.
Others have previously noticed his “gunslinger gait” – a significantly reduced swing of the right arm compared to the left arm, which gives him a lilting swagger.
Asymmetrically reduced arm swing is a classic feature of Parkinson’s disease and can manifest in “clinically intact individuals with a predisposition to later development of the disease,” according to the British Medical Journal.
Meanwhile, Putin toasted “strengthening future cooperation” with North Korea as he hosted the reclusive country’s leader for an official dinner in the Russian Far East.
Putin points into the air while visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome with Kim on Wednesday
Russian President Vladimir Putin (second from left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (3rd picture on the right) visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome accompanied by the head of the Russian state space company Roscosmos, Yuri Borissov (l.).
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspect a launch pad for Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome
“A toast to the future strengthening of cooperation and friendship between our countries,” Putin said, raising his glass in footage on Russian state television.
“For the well-being and prosperity of our nations, for the health of the chairman and all those present,” he added.
Putin stood to give the toast while his foreign and defense ministers sat next to him, looking at Kim and the North Korean delegation.
He praised the historic ties between Moscow and Pyongyang and quoted a Russian proverb: “An old friend is better than two new ones.”
“Our relations were established during the Korean freedom struggle in 1945, when Soviet and Korean soldiers fought side by side against Japanese militarists,” Putin said.
“And today we also strive to strengthen the bonds of camaraderie and good neighborliness,” he said. “We act in the name of the peace, stability and prosperity of our shared region.”
The meeting underscores how the two leaders’ interests align given their separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States and the West.
Washington has accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia, but it is unclear whether any such shipments occurred. Both Russia and North Korea have denied those claims but vowed to deepen defense cooperation.
Asked whether the two leaders would discuss getting supplies from the north to replenish Moscow’s dwindling stockpile of weapons and ammunition, Putin said they would discuss “all issues.”
And when asked whether Russia would help North Korea build satellites, Putin said: “That’s why we came here.” The [North Korean] Leader shows great interest in rocket technology. They’re also trying to create space.”
Kim said his decision to visit Russia four years after his last visit shows that Pyongyang is “giving priority to the strategic importance” of its ties with Moscow, North Korea’s official news agency said on Wednesday.