From 2006 to 2009, Christopher Steele led the Russia branch of the British intelligence service MI6. In the 1990s, he was stationed in Russia.
He also wrote the folder about Donald Trump and the Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Now he says to Sky News that his sources claim Putin is “quite seriously ill”.
“What we hear from sources in Russia and elsewhere is that Putin is actually quite seriously ill,” Steele said.
– It is unclear what kind of disease it is, and whether it is possible to cure or fatal. But I definitely think it’s part of the picture, he says.
– Great threat to Norway in the long run
Putin’s legacy
The statement comes after Ukrainian Major General Kyrylo Budanov claimed that Putin was seriously ill and that there were forces planning a coup against the Russian president.
Steele believes that the disease is probably a contributing factor to what is happening now in Ukraine.
– When you see what is happening now, you think that it is probably true. So I think there is an element of his illness involved in this and his legacy, says Steele.
sea view
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There has been speculation about Putin’s health for several years, without anything being confirmed. Russian authorities, including Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, have repeatedly tried to disprove the rumors, including by boasting about the president’s “fantastic” state of health.
– Catastrophic war
Steele believes that even if Putin is ill, it will not necessarily make him more receptive to criticism.
Therefore, they defied Putin
– In general, there are very few who are ready to stand up to or argue with President Putin. I do not think there are dissidents or disobedient voices telling him that this is a catastrophic war, which will not have a positive impact on Russia, especially when it comes to the economy, he says, adding:
– We can only hope this will lead to some form of change in the policy pursued or even a regime change, when that time comes, but it is not at all certain.
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