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Putin to step down as Russian president: Report

The Russian leader is reportedly nursing Parkinson’s disease.

• November 6, 2020
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Credit: BBC)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Credit: BBC)

Vladimir Putin has come under family pressure to step down as Russian president on health grounds, UK’s The Sun reported on Thursday.

Mr. Putin may stand down as Russia’s president as soon as next year after more than two decades in power, The Sun reported, citing a connected Russian political scientist Valery Solovei.

Mr. Putin first came into power in 2000 and his current six-year term is expected to elapse in 2024. The tabloid said there have been claims that Mr. Putin has been nursing Parkinson’s disease and his daughters and 37-year-old wife are prevailing on him to stand down.

“There is a family, it has a great influence on him. He intends to make public his handover plans in January,” Mr. Solovei told The Sun.

The Sun also cited a recent video that showed Mr. Putin appearing to be struggling with shifting his legs. His fingers also trembled while he was holding a cup that presumably contained his medication.

Russian lawmakers have recently commenced deliberation on a new bill that sought to grant former presidents a lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution. It was unclear whether the proposed legislation had any direct link to Mr. Putin’s reported plans to stand down.

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