Is Putin Really Sick, Or Is It Just Wishful Thinking?

In recent weeks, you may have seen some news articles about Russian President Vladimir Putin, speculating that he is secretly very sick with - depending on which reports you read - either Parkinson's disease or cancer. But is there any truth to these rumours, including that he has been bathing in the blood of deer antlers in a desperate bid to get better, or is it just wishful thinking on the part of those of us who want the conflict in Ukraine to end as soon as possible? The Quicky speaks to an expert in Russian politics and culture to find out what evidence there is to support the suggestion that Putin is gravely ill, and what it would mean for Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world if it is in fact true. CREDITS  Host: Claire Murphy With thanks to: William Partlett - Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School. He writes and teaches in the field of public law and is an expert in Russian and East European Studies and also speaks Russian To stay up to date with what's happening in the region, you can follow William on Twitter: @WPartlett Producer: Claire Murphy Executive Producer: Siobhán Moran-McFarlane Audio Producer: Jacob Round Subscribe to The Quicky at... https://mamamia.com.au/the-quicky/ CONTACT US Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Send us an email at [email protected] GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at [email protected] Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Just by reading or listening to our content, you’re helping to fund girls in schools in some of the most disadvantaged countries in the world - through our partnership with Room to Read. We’re currently funding 300 girls in school every day and our aim is to get to 1,000. Find out more about Mamamia at mamamia.com.au Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.