Vladimir Putin has disappeared from view since April 1 – but may reappear today to meet Donald Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. His alleged absence coincides with the US president’s strong criticism of the Kremlin leader for relentless bombing of Ukraine in defiance of calls for a ceasefire.
Reports by Axios said White House envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Russia and expected to meet Putin which, if confirmed, may end the Kremlin president’s disappearance from view. Axios cited a source familiar with the trip and FlightRadar data.
It was reported that Putin had flown during the night to St Petersburg where any meeting with Witkoff would take place. Witkoff was earlier reported as expected to meet a senior Iranian official this weekend. His plane landed in St Petersburg today – hours after Putin’s latest massive ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, this time in Dnipro. Last time Witkoff was in Moscow, he was reportedly made to wait eight hours to see Putin.
Yet it leaves a mystery over what Putin-watchers claim is the dictator’s bizarre vanishing act since April Fool’s Day with the war in a hot phase.
While a tired-looking Putin, 72, has been shown daily on TV meeting regional governors and other Russian functionaries, these videos are seen by analysts as highly likely “canned” – or pre recorded.
It is seen as the second time he has disappeared for more than a week this year, with such absences sparking rumours over his health. In the past, there has been speculation that he has used such vanishing acts for surgery for supposed serious medical conditions, or to top up his plastic surgery.
His lover Alina Kabaeva, 41, has been absent from public view for most of the same period following a gymnastics tournament in Kazan. The last time Putin appeared in a live public event was on April Fool’s Day when he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.
Since then his forces have launched savage strikes on civilians in Ukraine, including the killing of nine children and 11 adults in Kryvyi Rih, home city of Volodymyr Zelensky.
In strikes in the last 24 hours, Putin hit Dnipro, killing a man, 42, and wounding nine as clouds of black smoke wafted over the city. Local sources said Russia his a warehouse and damaged civilian residential areas. Russian sources said a Ukrainian factory producing fibre-optic FPV drones had been hit.
During this period a “pissed off” Trump has criticised Putin’s “crazy” bombing – but it has continued. The US president said: “I’m not happy with what’s going on with the bombing. They’re bombing like crazy right now. They’re bombing, I don’t know what’s going on. It’s not a good situation…..It’s terrible.”
If a meeting with Witkoff goes ahead today, it is likely to focus on whether Russia will halt its onslaught on civilians – and agree a full ceasefire.
Since the start of April, Putin has been seen meeting the governor of Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov and the head of Buryatia republic Alexei Tsydenov. He also met Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova and the head of state airline Aeroflot, Sergei Aleksandrovsky. On Thursday there was a session with his old friend and ex-sports minister Vasily Mutko
“In the previous three years, Putin did not have such frequent and long gaps in his work schedule in the first three months,” reported independent news outlet Agentsvo. “The last time the president was absent for such a long time was during the New Year holidays – he did not appear from December 29 to January 8 inclusive.”
The Kremlin on Thursday said Putin was today expected to make a regional visit, without saying where. Some such regional tours have featured Putin doppelgängers which he is strongly suspected to use, according to dictator-watchers.
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