Prednison, maybe. I repost a good piece that summarized the speculations about his state of health. It links nicely the behavioral aspects like keeping maximum distance and the physical like the swollen face. Speculation of course, but very interesting: https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/is...o-think-he-is/

From there:

Ashley Grossman, a professor of endocrinology at Oxford University, told New Lines, “Putin has always been a very fit-looking man with a slightly gaunt appearance. But over the last couple of years, he seems to have filled out in the face and neck. Cushingoid appearance, it’s called, and it’s compatible with steroid use.”

Steroids, Grossman said, are typically prescribed for various kinds of lymphoma or myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells, which “can cause widespread bone disease and definitely affect the spinal column and back.”

Lymphoma is typically a more aggressive type of blood cancer, requiring heavy-duty chemotherapy that leads to hair loss, something Putin is not known to have ever experienced. Other lymphomas are lower grade, may not require chemotherapy and are less likely to afflict the bones.

Myeloma, even the more aggressive forms of it, doesn’t necessarily require chemotherapy at all anymore. It can often be treated with immnuno-modulatory agents and steroids, neither of which precipitate hair loss. Myeloma can, however, lead to compression fractures of the spine, which make a patient hunched (see again that abnormal vignette with Shoigu) or even shave inches off height.

Steroids – a common one is prednisone – attack malignant lymphocytes that circulate in the blood, but they are also known for two common side effects.

The first is a high risk of infection owing to how badly they deplete immune cells. “Anyone on heavy doses of steroids will find it much easier to contract COVID-19,” Grossman said, which might account for Putin’s extreme germophobia and recourse to Howard Hughes-like seclusion. Pneumonia, too, can easily kill an immunocompromised steroid user.

And the second side effect?

“Deeply irrational or paranoid behavior.”

The problem I have with these speculative articles is that everybody seems to copy everybody else, often apparently without the slightest due diligence, out of pure FOMO. Though I welcome articles where actual experts get to voice their position.

Remember "OMG!!! This is GENOCIDE!!!" in the weeks after the invasion?
Those articles wouldn't have died off within days or weeks if it was something substantive, more than pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait.

We may well see the same here. Non olet.

Feel free to ignore them then.

What did they exactly do there before?

Tourism?

Garlic crop farming?

OMG, what a load of BS here, yes it is genocide and it will be judged later as it didn't die anything, Nato is just coward as they should have intervened if Putin and the rest of his gang didn't threat with nuclear weapons. This is what you get when you let the crazies have nuclear arsenal. This is why countries like Iran, Irak etc will never have nuclear bombs.
Let the hate come now.....

Btw, it doesn't look like "pure hyperbole, sensationalism and clickbait" anymore, unfortunately.

Gaburko, I am glad you are calmer, I can't deal with this Urs Max's trolling very well lately. Time to add him again on my ignore list, he can be as manipulative and disingenuous as much as he likes now.

Not mercenaries.

Russia is starting to employ more and more "tactics" from the Iranian playbook. Hostage diplomacy is just one of them. I am ready to bet that they won't be executed, but will somehow be used as leverage against the west.

To me, the most shocking thing the Russians appear to do is the mass deportation of Ukrainians. No idea how the numbers are derived, but allegedly it is 1.5m people now, including 200.000 children. This is a method of genocide.

Well, putin believes he's Peter the Great . The irony in this comparison is that indeed Peter was a brutal conqueror, but at the same time he brought Russia much closer to the west and he was an energetic supporter of modernizing it.

Btw, the comparison with Peter the Great is no mere coincidence. Peter fought the Swedes and won the territory that is now Ukraine from them in the Battle of Poltava. It's again "we, the Russians" against the "invading west".

Not sure what that has to do with my post, but yes. At least this should take the last bit of credibility out of the "NATO expansion caused this" bullshit.

As usual, I hit quote instead of reply, apologies for bringing you into this

Btw, it looks like the Ukrainians have received and making good use of the longer-range artillery

Agree. Not just long range but also very accurate, Russia also has long range artillery but at extreme range most of their artillery only has an accuracy of + 0.5Km. Russia has newer highly accurate Koalitsiya-SV but it is not known how many and if they are deployed in Ukraine; presumably they are high cost.

Reports are that both sides are running short of artillery ammunition. Some claims are that while the Russians have huge stocks these are now very old and unreliable in use.

Macron starts talking about how "Ukraine must win" and even suggests that France would participate in an "operation" to break the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports ...

Maybe Putin's speech on Peter the Great was another stupid move that makes even Macron realize how bad it is.

Not sure though what this "operation" would be. Sounds like it would have to be a NATO misson

There was an interesting point made by Gen Hertling who said it is just as much about training as it is about supply. Apparently the tubes of the delivered howitzers have to be exchanged after firing 2000 rounds, and it was not clear the Ukrainians have the spares and the know-how.

Indeed, interesting development. I also wonder whether this was Blinken giving him a call to politely tell him to stop playing a game he couldn't play or it was something else?

From the Reuters article it seems something is indeed in the making, but France seems to be following rather than taking the lead. Which is a good thing

Of course, this could also be simply due to the fact that the elections are tomorrow and he's trying to shore up support from every possible angle

It shouldn't have to be pointed out that there's a difference between a rational analysis based on (at least more or less) reliable data by experts on the one hand, and an immediate emotional outcry based on a single unverified and potentially fake event that's been emotionalised with pictures of a pregnant woman peddled by clickbaiting MSM on the other.

He can admire whomever he wants (preferably in the comfort of his home), it's his prerogative. But to act upon some three hundred years old idea(l)s is unacceptable.

What I find disturbing is that he's expressing certain views while talking with young people...it's like he's trying to form the next generation of Putinistas, to carry on his "work"..