CIA Director Says 'Putin Entirely Too Healthy'

CIA Director William Burns threw cold water on rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin was seriously ill when he said during a speech on Wednesday at the Aspen Security Forum, “There are lots of rumors about President Putin’s health, and as far as we can tell, he’s entirely too healthy.” Burns hastened to add that his observation was not an official intelligence assessment but that, despite his good health, the Russian president may have “his own way of looking at reality.”

In April, there were serious questions about Putin’s health when he appeared with his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a video that the Kremlin released. In the video, Putin looked bloated and fiercely gripped a table while nervously tapping his feet.

And there were other indications as well.