LIMP DICTATOR
VLADIMIR Putin appeared to limp and grimace as he walked during talks in Moscow with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Gesturing to the other end of his ludicrously long table, the tyrant's voice appeared soft and slightly shaky yesterday as he invited the top diplomat to take a seat.
5
5
5
In a short video clip shared online, Putin is seen walking slowly and appearing to grimace.
He continues his trademark "gunslinger" walk with his left arm swinging and his right arm fixed by his side but looks to be in pain and limps.
The Russian head of state brought out the bizarre 13-foot-long table that he has been pictured at in the past few months.
This marked a change from his most recent appearance last week, where Putin and his defence chief shared a tiny, almost intimate table.
READ MORE ON VLADIMIR PUTIN
After acknowledging Mr Guterres' presence with a minuscule nod of his head, in a strangely soft voice, the Russian leader tells the UN chief curtly: "Good afternoon. Please sit down."
This isn't the first time Putin's health has been called into question.
Over the weekend, Russia was accused of faking Putin's Easter church service using digitally altered pictures from last year's event.
Online sleuths claim the images from 2021 are virtually identical and were re-issued to hide the tyrant's failing health.
Most read in News
Other unaltered pictures from the service appear to show Putin looking frail and unsteady as he slowly crosses himself during midnight mass at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
Numerous reports suggest the Russian president may be suffering from thyroid cancer or Parkinson's Disease.
UN chief Guterres is in Russia to discuss the Ukraine crisis with Putin.
While on his visit, he also met with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
During his one-on-one with Putin, 69, Guterres again stated the UN's position on Ukraine, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The UN describes the February 24 invasion by Russia as a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and going against the UN Charter.
The war is in Ukraine, there are no bodies in the streets of Moscow
Volodymyr Zelensky
For his part, Putin insisted that Russia won't sign any peace deal with Ukraine unless the country first agrees to "solve the issues of Crimea and the Donbas".
This is likely to mean Ukraine surrendering these territories for good.
Crimea was annexed by Russia during the 2014 war.
Mr Guterres and President Putin also discussed proposed humanitarian assistance and civilian evacuation from the conflict zones, in particular the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol.
Thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians remain holed up in the Azovstal steel mill in the blitzed city, according to reports from Ukraine's military.
"The President agreed, in principle, to the involvement of the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol," Mr Dujarric said.
Mr Guterres described his talks with Sergey Lavrov as "a very frank discussion," adding that "it is clear that there are two different positions on what is happening in Ukraine".
He went on: "It is my deep conviction that the sooner we end this war, the better - for the people of Ukraine, for the people of the Russian Federation, and those far beyond."
5
5
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky earlier criticised Guterres for visiting Russia before coming to his country.
"The war is in Ukraine, there are no bodies in the streets of Moscow," he said.
"It would be logical to go first to Ukraine, to see the people there, the consequences of the occupation."
On Tuesday, Moscow also warned it could target British diplomats returning to Kyiv, after the UK's "provocative" talk of bombing Russia.
The Kremlin issued the chilling threat after Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said the UK would back Ukrainian airstrikes on Russia.
He said it would be "completely legitimate" for British weapons to be used in these attacks.
In an escalation of the war of words between London and Moscow, Russia's defence ministry warned it would be prepared to strike "decision-making centres" in Kyiv in retaliation - even if British and other Western diplomats were there.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced last week that Britain will reopen its embassy in Kyiv two months after staff were evacuated following the outbreak of war.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
The UK's ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, is set to become one of the first diplomats to return to the country.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced during a Monday visit to Kyiv that American diplomats would be returning to the capital "within weeks".
Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraine’s devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun's Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate here to help The Sun's fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
£5 — text SUN£5
£10 — text SUN£10
Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. £5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile
The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis.
In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.
For more information visit https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund