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Vladimir Putin felt “acute malaise, weakness and dizziness” when getting up from his desk after the 1.5-hour virtual session, it was claimed.
The Russian president needed urgent medical assistance and was urged by his doctors not to conduct lengthy interviews, the General SVR Telegram channel reported.
He has made repeated statements about Putin’s alleged medical issues, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
The claims – which the channel says are based on insider intelligence – are impossible to verify, but the theory that he is suffering from health issues is gaining traction in the West.
The channel cited the “giddiness” incident to explain an abrupt announcement this week that Putin’s annual live show “Direct Line” – a question-and-answer session when he takes questions from ordinary Russians – had been postponed without a fixed date.
It had been penciled in for the second half of June or early July, but no date is now specified.
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Despite this, Putin was seen in a rather rare public appearance in Moscow on Thursday.
He was close to several people at an event marking the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter the Great and a session at the same location with young entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists, suggesting there is less worry than ‘before he could catch Covid.
He boasted that by going to war in Ukraine, he was following in the footsteps of the Tsar, who seized land from Sweden.
“What was (Peter) doing? Picking up and strengthening,” he said.
” That’s what he did. And it seems like it behooves us to pick up and strengthen as well.
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He also admitted that Russians will have to wait a decade to live better after the country was cut off from the world by sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine.
During the meeting with young entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists, he was asked: “So, will we live better in 10 years?
He replied: “Yes, in the end this [reaching the goals I have set] will lead to a better quality of life.
Some recent photos show him looking frailer or with a puffy face, as he was seen clutching the side of desks to keep his hand from shaking, critics say.
But General SVR said: “The postponement of the live [Direct Line] with the president indefinitely is due to the unstable health of Vladimir Putin.
“A week ago, the president was preparing to answer questions from Russian citizens at the end of June-beginning of July.
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“But his doctors have advised him not to make any lengthy public appearances in the near future.
“The final argument for not speaking to the public was an incident after a recent hour-and-a-half video-link meeting with representatives of the military bloc…
“After the meeting, Putin felt acute malaise, weakness and dizziness when trying to get up from the table.
“The president needed urgent medical assistance.”
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Getty Images)
In four of the past five years, the live stream has taken place in June.
In 2020, it was postponed to December due to the pandemic.
The format sees Putin answering questions for a good four hours, but the channel said: “Lately the president has been getting tired much faster.
“Maybe if Putin’s health can be stabilized, the direct line will be in August.
“The Russian president’s indisposition has recently become increasingly difficult to conceal.”
General SVR claims to be the author of an exiled Kremlin lieutenant general, known as Viktor Mikhailovich, who allegedly has access to Putin’s secrets.
It was the first outlet to suggest that Putin was suffering from cancer.
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