President Volodymyr Zelensky has predicted that Vladimir Putin “will die soon” amid circulating rumours about the Russian leader’s ill health.
Zelensky’s damning assessment came during a sit-down interview with reporters in Paris following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday.
The Ukrainian, 47, pleaded with the US to “stay strong” and not to cave into Moscow’s demands, stating "He [Putin] will die soon, and that's a fact, and it will come to an end."
Rumours surrounding the Russian leader’s poor health have been gathering steam for years, as he has often been seen with a puffy face, blood-shot eyes, experiencing tremors and twitching legs, while on several occasions he also appeared to walk with a limp.
Just last week it was reported that Putin, 72, experienced a “mini stroke” after he was seen shaking uncontrollably during a conference.
One particularly famous incident in 2022 saw the president slouching in a chair while gripping a table and slurring words during a meeting with then-Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
There have been claims that he might have cancer and Parkinson’s Disease - but these have not been verified.
During the meeting yesterday, Zelensky said that he believes Putin is trying to “hit the European Union from within”, referencing Hungary, which sides with Russia.
Speaking after the talks, Macron said a European peacekeeping force installed in Ukraine could "respond" if Russia launched an attack.
"If there was again a generalised aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack and then it's our usual framework of engagement," Mr Macron said.
"Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it."
Macron, alongside Zelensky, will welcome European leaders today at the presidential Elysee Palace to once again explore ways of helping Ukraine in the event of a permanent ceasefire, possibly with boots on the ground to make peace stick.
The US, however, will not be represented at the talks.
Donald Trump's administration has shown no public enthusiasm for the coalition's discussions about potentially sending troops into Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire, while the US president's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has dismissed the idea of a European deployment or even the need for it.
European officials say that under any peace deal, Ukraine's first line of defence against any future Russian aggression would be Ukraine's own army.
The 27-nation European Union is pressing ahead with a so-called steel "porcupine strategy" aimed at making Ukraine an even tougher nut for Russia to crack, by strengthening its armed forces and defence industry.
The UK is also pledging continued military aid so Ukraine can keep fighting if peace talks fail or a ceasefire is broken.
Mr Macron announced a new package of defence aid for Ukraine that he said is worth 2 billion euros (£1.6 billion) and will include light tanks, air defence and anti-tank missiles and other weaponry and support.
