Putin's not ill, in fact he could break your hand if he wanted, Kremlin insists

Vladimir Putin recently cancelled a visit to Kazakhstan, with an anonymous source telling the Reuters news agency that the Russian president had "fallen ill".

This led to intense speculation that Putin was in fact seriously unwell, prompting his press secretary Dmitry Peskov to issue a firm denial in an almost uniquely Russian fashion.

His handshake is so strong he breaks hands with it.

The comment directly echoes reassurances given by Russian officials in the 1990s about Putin's predecessor Boris Yeltsin.

Note: Translation according to Russia Today

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