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VLADIMIR Putin has suddenly postponed his annual TV Q&A further fuelling ongoing rumours about his supposed poor health.
Russia’s president has only ever missed the event twice over the last 20 years since he first took power in the year 2000.
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Putin has been reported to be suffering from a number of health problems and has appeared weakened in recent appearances amid his disastrous invasion of Ukraine.
From having a heavy blanket on his lap at a parade to appearing to uncontrollable shake while at a meeting, observers have been wondering just what is going on with Vlad.
And this latest abrupt delay to will only fuel these rumours – with suggestions he could suffering from Parkinson’s, cancer or even early stage dementia.
Vlad has almost every year of his presidency taken questions from the Russian public in a marathon set-piece live TV show.
And the delay came just days after it was announced the event would be going ahead in the coming weeks.
One theory is that he and his Kremlin handlers fear a hostile interrogation over the war in Ukraine.
The invasion has dragged on for 100 days and seen 30,000 Russian soldiers slaughtered in one of the biggest military disasters in modern times.
Another however is that there could be ongoing concern over the 69-year-old president’s health.
There may be fears over his ability to remain on TV continuously for the usual three-to-four hours.
Putin’s recent appearances have often been dissected by observers, pointing to new quirks in his behaviour which could imply ill health.
And it is understood the Kremlin heavily stage manages all of Putin’s appearances, with some pictures suggesting recent meet and greets may have been fake.
The Direct Line to Vladimir Putin event has been in June for four of the last five years, the exception being the first Covid pandemic summer in 2020, when it took place in December.
The sudden delay was especially surprising since it had been announced five days ago that it would take place in the “foreseeable future”.
It was implied the event would be soon after the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum which ends on June 18.
Now his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the date it will be held is “unknown”, and not in June.
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The Q&A has run annually during Putin’s presidencies since 2001, with the exception of 2004 and 2012.
Millions of questions can be submitted and Putin often answers around 70 in some detail.
The Kremlin has boasted that callers are free to ask him any subject – which would imply it would be open season on Ukraine and his own health.
No reason was given for the delay and Peskov indicated it would take place at a later date.
The format could have led to searching questions from Russians over the high death rate or military failures in his “special military campaign” in Ukraine.
Any attempt to edit our such questions would leave him open to ridicule.
But the postponement also comes amid strong rumours that Putin’s health is waning.
There have been claims that he is fighting blood, thyroid or abdominal cancer, and suggestions he is in early stage Parkinson’s disease.
Some sources given credibility in the West say he has undergone cancer treatment during the war.
The Kremlin says his health is robust, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently denied Putin was ill.
On June 3, Peskov was quoted saying: “We proceed from the fact that in the foreseeable future it will take place.”
He indicated that the Direct Line would be soon after June 18.
But today he said: “The Direct Line cannot take place this month.”
The date had yet to be determined.
He added: “From a technical and substantive point of view, this is a complex and voluminous event.
“Routine preparations are underway. But it will enter its final stage as soon as the deadlines are set.”
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