I't was that video with I Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu last week which increased speculation that Vladimir Putin could be seriously ill. In the footage posted online by the Kremlin, the 69-year-old Putin grabs hold of the corner of the table with his right hand as soon as he sits down for the meeting, and keeps hold of it for the entirety of the 12-minute clip, as if desperate to steady himself. All the while his feet are tapping awkwardly. In fact, both men looked as if they were in poor health. Shoigu had reappeared on state media after a long absence only a few days before his meeting in the Kremlin, which prompted speculation that he had become ill or that his position had been usurped.
In contrast to Putin, who sat slightly hunched with his spine pressed flat against the back of the chair, Shoigu sat on the edge while reading his report on the situation in Mariupol with a slurred speech, suggesting that rumours of a recent heart attack could be well-founded.
Throughout the whole of his 22-year reign, Kremlin media-managers have continuously presented Vladimir Putin as a "мужик", a man with pugnacious masculinity. Recall those pictures of him riding a horse bare-chested, or salmon fishing topless in Siberia, images which have been a major part of how he brands himself to the Russian people and the world.
Now, all we have is a pastiche of Soviet gerontocracy, with Putin nodding perfunctorily, offering a grunt through his botoxed jowls to Shoigu, ordering him to seal off Ukraine's Azovstal steel plant so that "not a fly should be able to pass through".
This story is from the May 01, 2022 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 01, 2022 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BMW Joytown strikes a perfect chord
Soaring melodies and thrilling high notes echoed through the heart of Mumbai as thousands gathered to celebrate the highly anticipated, second edition of BMW JOYTOWN.
VERY PLEASED TO CLOSE Q4, FY24 ON STRONG NOTE, SAYS TCS CEO
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced rise in its net profit for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24 which is 9 per cent increase in net profit, reaching Rs 12,434 crore compared to Rs 11,392 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.
SC to hear Arvind Kejriwal's plea
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal‘s plea on Monday (April 15) against a high court order affirming his arrest in a money-laundering case arising from the alleged excise policy scam.
COURT ORDERS ED TO CONCLUDE INVESTIGATION INTO LAND-FOR-JOB CASE
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to conclude a pending investigation within two weeks in the land-for-job case associated with money laundering, involving Bihar’s former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her two daughters.
CJI DY CHANDRACHUD EMPHASISES AI'S ROLE IN LEGAL TRANSFORMATION
In the Indo-Singapore Judicial Conference, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud underscored the pivotal role of technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), in transforming legal research and the judiciary, while highlighting the necessity of ethical considerations in its incorporation.
BUILDERS EXPECT SALES TO GROW BY 3-4 TIMES DURING FESTIVE SEASON
Real Estate developers are avoiding festival offers this season because of high demand and quick sale of projects.
Foreign funds shy away from real estate: Vestian
Institutional investments in real estate declined 55 per cent annually in January-March this year to USD 552 million as cautious foreign investors stayed away, pumping in only USD 11 mn, according to Vestian.
GLOBAL MERCHANDISE TRADE VOLUME TO GROW BY 2.6% IN 2024
In merchandise trade, where exports are concerned, India ranked 17th globally, with a 1.8 per cent share in world trade, amounting to USD 432 billion, a5 per cent decrease from 2022.
REPORTS OF AFGHAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS IN DELHI DENIED BY GDI
Kabul based sources including those in General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), the intelligence agency of Afghanistan, have denied reports that its members are working as diplomats in New Delhi.
Nongfu incident reflects the nature of governance in China
The Nongfu [Farmer's Mountain] Spring Water incident, apart from illustrating that the Chinese Communist Party does not trust private enterprises, also reflects that the authorities are still accustomed to inciting populism to achieve their own objectives.