Aimar Ventsel: Of Putin and his unhealthy fixation on his health
No one knows what a nuclear war would bring, and there's no guarantee Vladimir Putin would survive it. Perhaps his fear of death is the best safeguard against it, writes Aimar Ventsel in his Vikerraadio commentary.
Recently, the media picked up on a striking clip: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were walking down the street when Putin told his Chinese counterpart that modern science has advanced so far that, through various organ replacements, a human life could be extended to 150 years. In short, Putin proposed to Xi that they aim to live to 150. Later, during a press conference, Putin confirmed the exchange: yes, he had discussed it with the Chinese president.
Setting aside speculation about whether the microphones on both presidents' lapels were accidentally or deliberately left on, the real focus should be elsewhere — namely, on Putin's almost obsessive concern with his health.
Most people will remember the images from the COVID era of Putin sitting at one end of a very long table, with French President Emmanuel Macron at the other end — at least four meters away. At the time, the media reported that Macron had refused to take a Russian COVID test, and as a result, Putin opted to avoid direct contact.
Looking at Putin's behavior over the years, it becomes clear that he treats his health and personal well-being with near-paranoia.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, one TV broadcast showed footage of the Russian president visiting a restricted hospital ward in Moscow reserved for coronavirus patients. For the visit, Putin wore a full-body protective suit — essentially a hazmat suit. According to experts, the suit was an expensive foreign-made model that cost many times more than the standard-issue protective gear provided to Russian hospital staff.
A few years earlier, a video clip surfaced of Putin working out with Dmitry Medvedev. The media focused on Putin's gray sweatpants, which reportedly cost $3,000. What they didn't pay attention to was just how professional the equipment in Putin's personal gym was.
It must be said that, at 72 years old, the Russian president is in excellent physical shape — better than many of the people around him. A good example is the photo of Putin with then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The two were pictured shirtless in a boat somewhere in Siberia, gazing dreamily into the distance. From the image, it was clear that Shoigu was significantly more overweight and less muscular than his boss.
Rumors surrounding Putin's health and the lengths he goes to preserve it are widespread. Some say that when he disappears into the Siberian taiga for days at a time, he's not actually fishing but meeting with shamans — performing healing and life-extending rituals.
Incidentally, the KGB's interest in Siberian shamans dates back decades, and Putin, as a distinguished former KGB officer, has undoubtedly heard about it. As far back as the 1950s, Soviet security services were detaining shamans from Siberian ethnic groups and bringing them to Moscow. They were fitted with various measuring devices in attempts to understand what mysterious powers they possessed. As far as I know, those attempts were unsuccessful — meaning that, to this day, the supernatural abilities of shamans remain scientifically unexplained.
Putin's almost manic fear for his health became especially evident during the COVID pandemic. He was likely the only head of state in our part of the world who completely isolated himself from the public. Reportedly, he spent much of the pandemic living in an underground bunker. People who needed to meet with him were required to quarantine for two weeks beforehand.
It's also widely reported that Putin travels with a personal chef and eats only food prepared by him. And of course, it's said he has a personal food taster who samples every dish before it reaches the president's plate — just in case of poisoning.
I once listened to a radio program in which an analyst floated an interesting theory: a nuclear war won't happen because Putin is deathly afraid of dying. When you think about it, the idea holds some merit. No one knows exactly what a nuclear war would bring and there's no guarantee that Putin would survive it.
Perhaps the best safeguard against nuclear war is, in fact, Putin's fear of war itself. On the other hand, if he truly is doing everything possible to live to 150, that means he could remain president of Russia for another 80 years — and that's hardly good news.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
