Putin Facing Health Issues? Russian President's Puffy Face At Awards Ceremony Raises Concerns

As tensions in Russia continue, rumors of President Vladimir Putin’s possibly declining health resurfaced Tuesday when he appeared at an awards ceremony for the country’s Olympians.

Putin's face was noticeably bloated as he posed for photographs at the event with figure skater Kamila Valieva.

The New York Post reiterated previous claims made by several news outlets in March about Putin's health issues, as the outlet shared images of the Russian president from the event.

Just after the invasion of Ukraine, Putin had been out of the public eye for nearly two weeks, and had canceled a scheduled trip to Kazakhstan at the time.

Later, Putin made his first public appearance since March 5 at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 14. At the time, he dismissed rumors, which claimed his prolonged absence was due to poor health.

Last week, Putin's face was looking swollen as he tried to grip a table for support in a clip released on social media from a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. He also appeared unsteady during an Orthodox Easter service in Moscow, the New York Post reported.

It was also alleged Putin recently had 35 secret meetings with a cancer doctor — and has turned to unconventional therapies due to his health problems, independent Russian media outlet Proekt had reported earlier this month.

However, International Business Times could not independently confirm these claims.

When the West imposed sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, it not only affected the economy, but also allegedly had an impact on Putin on a more personal level due to a potential cutback in deliveries of Botox to Russia. The current sanctions curtailed the delivery of many types of drugs.

The White House on Monday refused to speculate on Putin’s health as press secretary Jen Psaki said she did not have “any assessment to offer from here or any particular comment.”

Meanwhile, at the awards ceremony Tuesday, Putin claimed the Russian and Belarusian Paralympians, who were removed from the Beijing Paralympic Games, were subjected to discrimination.

“The suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus not only directly violated the fundamental principles of sport but their most basic human rights were… openly, cynically violated,” Putin said.