Kremlin spokesman dismisses Western tabloid rumors that Putin may step down due to illness

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says articles in Western tabloids claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning on an early resignation due to illness are “complete nonsense.” 

“Well you know, there’s nothing special to comment on here. It’s complete nonsense. The president is doing well. He’s in remarkable health,” Peskov said in conversation with journalists on Friday, November 6. He also emphasized that the Russian president is not going to step down.

The question was prompted by an article that ran in the British tabloid The Sun on November 5, which claimed that Vladimir Putin is planning to step down early in 2021 due to health problems. The article cited “Moscow sources,” as well as Russian political scientist Valery Sovoley, who alleged that Putin has symptoms of Parkinson’s. Other Western tabloids picked up the article, including the Daily Mail and the New York Post.