Moment ‘critically ill’ Vladimir Putin’s feet twitch and spasm during tense meeting

Footage showed the moment Vladimir Putin’s feet appeared to twitch and spasm during a meeting, in a possible sign of Parkinson’s disease.

Vladimir Putin was seen with twitching feet as he met “ally” Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Moscow on Monday, fuelling ongoing health rumours for the Russian President.

Throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there have been persistent rumours that Mr Putin is suffering serious health issues, with both cancer and Parkinson’s disease touted as possible conditions.

Now some have claimed this recent twitching is a further sign that the rumours are true.

It comes as leaked documents allege that the President has early stage Parkinson’s disease and pancreatic cancer.

Meanwhile Mr Tokayev, who has previously made clear his disapproval of the Ukraine invasion, appeared to snub the Russian leader during the talks.

Footage showed the central Asian leader appear to studiously refuse to look Mr Putin in the eye.

And at a signing ceremony to mark 30 years of diplomatic relations between the countries, the 69-year-old Kazakhstan President sat down before his host and did not engage with the Russian leader.

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Vladimir Putin met with Kazakhstan president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Moscow. Picture: East2West

Putin looked puffy-faced and tired during the meeting. Picture: East2West

As Mr Putin greeted Mr Tokayev, the Kazakh leader appeared to deliberately avert his eyes.

Sitting in front of journalists, Mr Putin then said, “Shall I start?” before Mr Tokayev replied with a curt “Yes” without looking at the Russian leader.

“Today’s visit is of a special significance, as this is the first [foreign trip] since Kassym-

Jomart was re-elected the president of Kazakhstan,” Mr Putin said.

Speaking on the “special type of our relations”, the President then said to Mr Tokayev: “We highly appreciate it.”

After they exchanged signatures on the document, Mr Tokayev momentarily held up the agreement with Mr Putin, then quickly handed it to an aide while the Russian was still holding up his copy for the cameras.

While Mr Tokayev said there was “every reason to be satisfied” with relations between Russia and Kazakhstan, he warned Mr Putin: “You need to look ahead, and it is for this purpose that I have come here.”

Putin and Tokayev exchanged documents with a brief handshake and eye contact – but only for a split second. East2West

Kazakhstan has annoyed the Kremlin by permitting tens of thousands of men fleeing the country’s war draft to seek a safe haven there.

“We must not allow the fraternal Russian and Ukrainian peoples to part ways for tens or hundreds of years with mutual unhealed grievances,” Mr Tokayev told Mr Putin last week at a security conference in Armenia.

The Kazakhstan leader demanded a “joint collective search for a formula for peace” in Ukraine.

In today’s session as they exchanged documents there was a brief handshake and eye contact, but only for a second.