President Putin has been the subject of health scare rumors, but he has no intention of relinquishing power (Image: Reuters/Afro)“President Vladimir Putin’s medical condition appears to be quite serious. The cancer is spreading. I think his life must be in danger if he remains untreated.” Professor Itsuro Nakamura of Tsukuba Gakuin University, who is an expert on the situation in Russia, tells us. Theories of President Vladimir Putin’s health concerns persist. According to the independent Russian media outlet Proekt, during the four years from 2004 to 2008, thyroid specialists visited Putin 35 times and spent 161 days with him. Several doctors, initially numbered about five, but from 2019 the number increased to an average of nine, including an otolaryngologist, etc. When he stopped appearing in public in September 2021, it was reported that he may have undergone surgery for thyroid cancer. Nakamura continues, “I think the reports are quite credible. Proekt is a media outlet with a reputation for calm, factual, investigative reporting that is neither pro-regime nor exclusively critical. It also reveals in detail the names and titles of the doctors. There is no doubt that there is something wrong with President Putin’s thyroid gland.” President Putin will turn 70 this year. In Russia, where the average life expectancy for men is said to be around 65, he is an elderly man. For the past six years or so, he is also said to be suffering from an illness that prevents him from controlling his own behavior. As his illness worsens, he will lose his sense of physical and mental balance. He may lose the ability to make normal decisions. The point is June 12. President Putin probably understands his own medical condition best. Nakamura believes that he may retire to concentrate on his treatment. “The key date is June 12. It is the anniversary of Russia’s independence from the former Soviet Union. On May 20, Russia declared full control of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin made a major report of the war results on June 12, Independence Day. He is expected to name a successor, retire from the front lines, and enter a period of convalescence.”   The most likely successor is Dmitry Kovalev, 36, head of the presidential administration. “On May 9, the anniversary of the victory over Germany, he came close to President Putin and talked with him for more than 30 seconds. It’s a sign of a special presence. Although he may seem like someone who has suddenly emerged from nowhere, President Putin was also an unknown figure when he was nominated to succeed President Yeltsin in December 1999. By naming the still inexperienced Kovalev, who is in his 30s, as his successor, he probably intends to maintain his influence even after his retirement,” Nakamura said. Putin has no intention of giving up his power. According to Nakamura, Putin has even grander ambitions. “No matter how long he rules the government, his influence will diminish in a few years. To avoid this, he will probably try to have his son succeed Kovalev. Kabaeva, a former rhythmic gymnastics gold medalist and “mistress,” is said to have a baby boy with Putin, born in December 2009.” President Putin’s ambition is to build a dynasty as “Czar” and revive a strong Russia. He may be trying to pass on his dream to his son. I think he wants to be called “Czar” by future generations. “Vladimir I and his son Vladimir II.” The “Putin presidential bloodline” is likely to survive even if his illness worsens. The autocratic leader seems to be steadily gaining a foothold as a “czar.”