Bizarre moment Putin’s jelly legs twitch uncontrollably as giggling tyrant baffles kids with speech about ‘rubber bums’

Vladimir Putin has reignited rumours he is ill after a bizarre meeting where he baffled children with odd jokes and seemed to twitch constantly.

A bizarre appearance by Russian President Vladimir Putin has reignited rumours that the dictator isn’t all that well.

A giggling Putin cracked a perplexing joke about having a “rubber bum” and seemed unable to stop his legs from twitching in a surreal appearance with Russian schoolchildren.

The pupils appeared baffled by the Russian president’s speech as he addressed them in the exclave territory of Kaliningrad, which borders Poland and Lithuania but is some distance from Russia’s mainland.

It was a rare public appearance for the 69-year-old. At the event, called “Talking About Important Things,” in front of selected high-achieving students, he was slumped in his chair and barely spoke above a whisper.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds an open lesson "Talking about important things", attended by the winners of Olympiads and competitions in the field of culture, art, science and sports among school students at the museum and theatre-educational complex in Kaliningrad on September 1, 2022. (Photo by Gavriil GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / AFP)

Such is his concern for his own health, the children had been ordered to quarantine for 14 days beforehand to ensure they did not have Covid-19.

He squirmed in his seat and his legs seemed to twitch continuously as he addressed the room of children aged between nine and 12, The Sun reported.

There have even persistent rumours that Putin has health issues. People have pointed to his penchant for sitting at weirdly long desks, isolated from those who is meeting, and how he seems to hang onto furniture for dear life.

But there has been no confirmation he is ill and defence analysts have poured cold water on the rumours.

He seemed to squirm and twitch while talking to the students. (Photo by Alexey MAISHEV / SPUTNIK / AFP)

He regaled them with an odd joke about a “rubber bum”. (Photo by Gavriil GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / AFP)

Rubber bum

As part of a rambling talk in Kaliningrad, Putin offered a twisted version of history and repeated the propaganda line that Russia and Ukraine should be one country.

At one point, when a boy wearing a red military-type uniform asked the warmonger a question, Putin launches into a truly confusing response.

“You need to be motivated to reach your goal,” he says. “And, of course, hard work.

“All this together is very important. Working hard is a talent in itself. “

He added: “It’s not just, excuse me, a rubber bum.

“It is a talent to force oneself to work, and to be able to do it productively.”

Putin’s joke appeared to tickle him, as the video showed the leader chuckling to himself as he delivered it.

But his young audience remained stony-faced as they watched on, while Putin’s remarks triggered an equally puzzled response from many Russians.

One commenter said: “I am confused. I could at least understand his previous ‘jokes’.”

Another asked: “What’s behind the weird joke from our dictator?”

Hey kids. (Photo by Gavriil GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / AFP)

While journalist Elena Rykovtseva posted: “God forbid – is this what he’s flogging to school kids at the ‘Speak about the Important’ session in Kaliningrad?

“What kind of mess is in his head? Somebody cure this president!

“It is a talent to force oneself to work, and to be able to do it productively.”

Some reports claim that the “rubber bum” comment was a mix up of his Soviet history, and was referring to the nickname given to a former USSR politician.

Josef Stalin’s notorious foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov was known as “Stone A***” because he was sit and work at his desk for 20 hours non-stop.

However, there is confusion over this, and he may have in fact been known as “Iron A***”, a nickname given to him by the first Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin.

Another contrasted Putin’s carefully managed and isolated appearance with one given by his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to a school in Irpin near the capital Kyiv.

The 44-year-old appeared more relaxed and played games with the children as he visited it for the first day of the school year.

– with The Sun.