Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied on Sunday that President Vladimir Putin was ill, saying he showed no signs of it.
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President Putin’s health and his private life are taboo subjects in Russia, almost never discussed in public.
But in response to a question from French television channel TF1, Mr Lavrov said in a statement: ‘I don’t believe that anyone with a clear head can see in this person (Putin) signs of a any illness or disease”.
Mr Lavrov pointed out that Vladimir Putin, who turns 70 in October, appeared in public “daily”.
“You can see him on screen, read or listen to his speeches,” he added.
“I leave those who spread such rumors to settle this with their conscience, despite the daily opportunities they have to verify what is going on”.
Vladimir Putin, in power for more than two decades, launched an offensive in Ukraine on February 24 that killed thousands, caused Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II and led to unprecedented Western sanctions against Russia.