Bizarre moment 'tense' Putin clenches fists and twitches feet in awkward clip

A fresh video of Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko has reignited long-standing speculation about the 73-year-old leader's health, with observers noting his clenched fists, twitching feet, and visibly tense demeanour during a discussion on potential peace talks for Ukraine. The footage, shared widely on social media platform X by Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Ukraine's Internal Affairs Minister from 2021 to 2023 and founder of the Institute of the Future, captures the two autocrats seated in an opulent Kremlin chamber adorned with Russian and Belarusian flags.

Lukashenko, 70, appears relaxed, leaning forward with open gestures as he proposes Minsk – his capital – as a neutral venue for Russia-Ukraine negotiations. In stark contrast, Putin fidgets restlessly: his feet tap and shift beneath the ornate table, while his hands form tight fists on his lap, knuckles whitening under strain. The 11-second clip, broadcast by state-affiliated SMOTR channel, has amassed over 222,000 views, prompting analysts to dissect every micro-movement for signs of frailty.

Mr Gerashchenko said: "Lukashenko suggested having the negotiations of Russia and Ukraine in Minsk. The body language of the two dictators is curious - Putin looks visibly more tense, keeps moving his feet and has hands clenched in fists. Lukashenko is more relaxed and looks in control.”

The exchange, part of a broader summit on Eurasian security, underscores Belarus's increasingly significant role as Moscow's proxy in the 33-month war, but the personal dynamics have overshadowed the diplomatic efforts.

Such scrutiny is nothing new - Putin's health has been a persistent rumour mill since his 2014 annexation of Crimea, when Western intelligence first whispered of spinal or pancreatic cancer. By 2020, UK tabloids speculated he suffered both thyroid cancer and Parkinson's disease, citing alleged leaks from Kremlin insiders.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 amplified these claims: anonymous Telegram channels like General SVR alleged early-stage Parkinson's and abdominal tumours, backed by purported spy documents detailing intravenous treatments and involuntary tremors.

Footage from that year showed Mr Putin gripping tables during meetings, his leg shaking uncontrollably opposite then-Defence minister Sergei Shoigu – a clip neurologists later dismissed as inconclusive, but which fuelled theories of a progressive neurological disorder.

Experts remain divided. Professor K. Ray Chaudhuri, a Parkinson's specialist at King's College London, has cautioned against "armchair diagnoses," noting the condition's 40-plus symptoms manifest variably and require clinical examination. Speaking in 2022, he said: "Media speculation is unhelpful.”

However, oncology professor Angus Dalgleish of St George's University has pointed to Mr Putin's prolonged absences and reliance on oncologists during Sochi retreats as evidence of possible thyroid issues. Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov echoed this in 2022, claiming Mr Putin was "very ill with blood cancer" but urging restraint: "It's not worth hoping he will die tomorrow.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly swatted down these narratives. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov branded them "fiction and untruth" in 2022, insisting Mr Putin undergoes rigorous check-ups and appears publicly "every day.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated this last year: "You can watch him on screens.”

CIA Director William Burns added in 2023: "As far as we can tell, he's entirely too healthy." Even so, the very nature of Mr Putin's regime – where medical records are state secrets – breeds doubt. Reports of body doubles, bolstered by facial analysis software spotting discrepancies in jawlines and ear shapes, have only deepened the intrigue.

The latest clip arrives amid escalating battlefield pressures. Ukrainian forces, bolstered by Western arms, have reclaimed swathes of Donbas territory, while Russia's economy reels under sanctions.

If Mr Putin's unease betrays deeper woes, it could accelerate succession plotting in the elite, with most experts believing the outcome of the war is existential for the former KGB officer.

Political analyst Valery Solovei, who has long predicted Mr Putin's demise from schizoaffective disorder, claimed last month the leader's "thinness and persistent cough" now alarm his inner circle. In April President Volodymyr Zelensky even suggested that Putin "will die soon”.