Russian President Vladimir Putin to step down in 2021? Report says he has Parkinson's disease, Is this the end for Russia's strong man?

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin, 68, plans to step down early next year amid fears he has Parkinson's disease. This was reported by The Sun, citing sources in Moscow.

Observers who studied recent videos of Putin noticed that his legs appeared to be in constant motion and he looked sick as he gripped the arm of a chair. His fingers can also be seen twitching as he held the pen and squeezed the cup.

According to reports, Putin is being pressured by his family to give up leadership of the country for health reasons.

However, there has been no confirmation from the Kremlin that the president is suffering from the disease.

 

Rumors that Putin’s rule was nearing the end intensified when laws were drafted in Russia making former presidents senators for life.

Rumors that his 20-year reign - the second longest in Russia after Stalin - was drawing to a close earlier this week, when laws were drafted making former Russian presidents life-long senators and would guarantee him with legal immunity from prosecution and and state perks until he dies.

The Russian presidential administration has repeatedly denied rumors that Putin is preparing the way for political withdrawal. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of life-long senatorship: "This is a practice that is used in many countries of the world, and it is fully justified."