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Recent rumors surrounding the health of U.S. President Joe Biden have sparked reactions among propagandists. In their messages, they have attempted to contrast Biden with the “young and healthy” Putin, who supposedly personifies Russia. They suggest that the United States is on its deathbed and still continues to spread lies about the Russian "president." Propagandists write that the “feeble old man” symbolizes what has happened and is happening to the so-called “Western world” and that a world led by “such a leader” is doomed to failure.
These quotes reveal both exaggeration and dramatization tactics as well as mirroring: they respond this way to the spread of rumors about Putin’s “imminent death” or his “terminal illnesses” since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Experts, journalists, bloggers, and politicians have speculated about heart attacks, Parkinson’s disease, and various cancers affecting the Russian leader. Rumors suggest that Putin’s bodyguards must travel with a special suitcase to collect the politician’s feces to prevent foreign intelligence services from learning about his health.
Although propagandists do not respond to these accusations directly or rarely do so, there are a number of ways and tactics they use to respond to the rumors. One tactic involves utilizing the menus of diplomatic receptions in which Russia participates. Through these, propagandists not only aim to show that Putin is supposedly healthy but also sometimes reiterate their imperial ambitions. On the day of Russia's attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, Russia hosted a luncheon in New York to mark the start of its presidency of the UN Security Council. One of the menu items was chicken Kyiv, which can be seen as a taunt directed at Ukraine. Moreover, the Russians used the Soviet-era spelling "chicken Kiev" instead of "chicken Kyiv." We explain why propagandists have resorted to old and new techniques concerning Putin’s health.
“Biden’s Aging Is No Blessing”
Propagandists latch onto conclusions from American media regarding Biden's health, which as of mid-July, are purely speculative without official confirmation. They claim that the U.S. president is seriously ill, pointing to the fact that he has taken more vacation days than any of his predecessors. They write that Biden is physically unable to handle his duties while Putin manages everything.
Propagandists assert that Biden suffers from dementia. They claim that his numerous verbal gaffes indicate this—he has supposedly “confused allies with enemies,” called himself the ‘first black woman,’” and referred to his opponent Donald Trump as “vice president.” The American media also began pointing this out, which they covered after the first presidential debate of this election campaign in the United States, which propagandists used. Although these incidents did occur, Biden has had speech issues (including stuttering) since childhood, as well as several psychological traumas that could exacerbate the situation in old age.
However, similar gaffes by Putin, such as during his 2021 press conference when he said that more than 500 million people had taken advantage of mortgage benefits in Russia—a country with a population of less than 150 million—are either ignored by propagandists or spun in a positive light. This is an application of the framing tactic, where selective publication of advantageous topics with favorable frequency shapes the audience’s attitude. Through this method, they create a positive impression of Putin and a negative one of Biden by selectively publishing or withholding material on these topics.
"Parkinson's Disease," Heart Attacks, and Cancer
One rumor about Putin's health is that he allegedly has Parkinson's disease. This neurodegenerative disorder causes a progressive loss of neurons and affects the motor system. The main symptoms are tremors, constant muscle stiffness, slowed movements, and balance problems.
The Russians respond to such rumors in various ways, but often not when such news pertains to Putin himself, but rather to someone else. Recent information about the U.S. president’s doctor meeting with an expert on this disease triggered a reaction from propagandists, with posts suggesting that this is evidence of Biden’s poor health. Responses from the White House press office are portrayed in the Russian media solely as lies. Using the framing technique, they spread each new element of this story, while almost no information about Putin’s health issues can be found in propaganda media.
"An old man fully afflicted by Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s, both at once" and "the gray-haired demon" is how Biden is described in one anonymous pro-Russian Telegram channel.
The Russian propaganda machine's manipulation of the health status of its adversary is also an example of the mirroring tactic: while trying to mask Putin's age, they reinforce the narrative surrounding Biden’s “health disaster” and amplify rumors about him. This became particularly noticeable after the recent presidential debates when the topic of the U.S. president’s health made headlines in world publications.
There are also rumors that Putin is already dead and that look-alikes rule in his stead. To dispel this, propagandists utilize the work of their foreign colleagues, notably the conservative Fox News channel. Again, the focus is on Biden, claiming that while Putin gives two-hour interviews to Tucker Carlson "teeming with historical facts," Biden "falls apart in real-time." One host said live on air, "It seems that all reports about Putin’s poor health are far-fetched, just as reports about Biden’s good health."
The Kremlin’s silence on numerous issues has become a meme, so propagandists occasionally try to break it slightly. However, this, too, might be a card in the Kremlin's hand—suggesting it operates only with verified data and does not react to rumors. Thus, Russian propaganda blurs the line between what is considered reliable and what is not and distorts the concept of transparency in a country’s communication with the outside world.
When some Telegram channels published information in 2023 that Putin had almost died of a heart attack, the Kremlin did comment on the rumors. The spokesman for the "Russian president" Dmitry Peskov called these rumors false.
“Eating to Rule, or Ruling to Eat?”
The Russian propaganda machine constantly tries to depict Putin as a healthy and strong man, maintaining this image created for him earlier. Furthermore, not only for these visits but also for receptions of foreign delegations by Putin in the Kremlin and his other foreign visits, propagandists always describe and publish the menus of formal receptions in detail. These menus are always filled with various dishes not typical for consumption by people suffering from chronic digestive diseases—many fatty and spicy dishes with numerous condiments and spices. The timing of when propagandists began publishing such posts, their repetition, and their synchronization with the official rhetoric of the Kremlin, which constantly provides reasons and material for spreading posts on this topic, suggest this could be a deliberate response to rumors about Putin’s "poor health." Russian propaganda has previously used the method of unobtrusive posts to connect with audiences and to give the impression that these media resources are a “comfortable place” where the audience can find both something crucial and take a break from "heavy" topics. This method was last used during Putin's recent visits to North Korea and Vietnam, as well as during the visit of the official Chinese delegation to Moscow.
It is also clear that delicacies such as foie gras, expensive alcohol, and crabs are mentioned. This is likely done to show how much Russia respects its friends and the respect it receives in return while also attempting to prove that sanctions have barely affected Russia.
In addition, propagandists publish Putin's statements in response to questions about food at receptions. For example, during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the Russian leader said that he could not resist taking another piece of Peking duck. Or an informal video of Putin eating a heap of nuts at the recent SCO summit with praise for the "president" from the authors of anonymous Telegram channels...
Why Propagandists Resort to These Methods
Propagandists themselves provided an answer in one of their foreign-language Telegram channels. They describe all rumors about Putin’s health as a "scenario filled with tragicomic elements, where the West, suffocating under its own sanctions, seemingly finds solace in creating a narrative about a sick Russian leader." Russia aims to strengthen the assertion, alleging that “while Russia advances, the West sinks into the abyss of self-imposed illusions." They argue that it benefits the West to remain silent about its own mistakes while discussing Putin’s illnesses. Hence they should not hesitate to talk about the "illnesses" of Western leaders.
"This is a mockery of the information war, where the West, losing on all tangible fronts, resorts to futile attempts to sow seeds of doubt and fear," propagandists write. The tactic of mirroring and hyperbole—deliberate exaggeration—is most evident in their statement: "How many more invented deaths will it take for the West to come to terms with the living, breathing, and thriving reality of Russian resilience?" In truth, propagandists do not shy away from making use of the health of other world leaders to overshadow the issue of their own leader’s possible illnesses.
