‘Shut Your Trap’: Vladimir Putin Spokesman Blasts U.S. Press Over Cancer Rumors

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the world to know that that “strongman” moniker doesn’t just apply to his political clout. Putin’s spokesperson had some strong words for the U.S. media as he shot down reports that Putin is suffering from some form of cancer.

Putin’s image as a physical specimen has no doubt been a contributor to the cult of personality that has grown around the Russian leader over the past decade. Putin’s handlers never miss an opportunity to show Putin out hunting, shirtless, or doing other manly things, and the firm hand Putin has taken in dealing with the West has largely served to make him more loved at home.

Despite the outward projections of virility, though, The New York Post last week ran a report that Putin was suffering from cancer of the spine or pancreas, citing a doctor that had supposedly treated Putin.

Not so, though, says Putin’s spokesperson Dimitry Peskov. AFP reports that Peskov had some choice words for media outlets casting doubt on Putin’s health.

“They shouldn’t bank on it,” Peskov told journalists at Putin’s country residence near Moscow. “They should shut their trap. Everything’s okay.”

The AFP report points to older rumors that Putin’s health was in question, noting that Putin’s face “sometimes looks swollen” and that he has occasionally canceled high-profile international visits due to health concerns.

Were Putin’s health to actually take a serious turn for the worse, it would no doubt have an impact on the way Russia interacts with the rest of the world. Putin has had no qualms about pushing against the West and his actions at home and abroad have reignited a fierce sense of pride in country among many Russians.

In the West, Putin is at times disparaged as a warmonger, due in no small part to his aggressive stance in dealing with the situation in the Ukraine. At home, though, Putin is often seen as standing up for Russia’s interests against a Western bloc that some Russians believe is out to humiliate and subjugate Russia.

Whether Russia’s position would remain tenable if Putin were to become seriously ill, though, is up for debate. Currently, Putin’s strong posturing and tight control over much of the Russian government’s operation allows Russia to maintain its current position. Putin has not yet, though, pointed out any likely successor for when his term as president ends in 2018.

[Lead image via Business Insider]