Christopher Steele: Former spy says Vladimir Putin is ‘quite seriously ill’

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Vladimir Putin is “quite seriously ill” claims the former British spy Christopher Steele, who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. “Certainly, from what we’re hearing from sources in Russia and elsewhere, is that Putin is, in fact, quite seriously ill,” the former British spy said in an interview with Sky News on Sunday. The remarks come after US magazine New Lines claimed to have obtained an audio recording of a Russian oligarch with close ties to Mr Putin telling a western venture capitalist that the Russian leader is “very ill with blood cancer”. “In general there are very few people who are prepared to stand up to or to argue with President Putin… I do think though that there are dissident voices, discordant voices, people telling him this is a disastrous war, that, particularly on the economy, will not play out well for Russia, and we can only hope that that will lead to some kind of change of policy, or even change in regime in due course, but it’s certainly not a given.” Mr Putin’s body language was scrutinised by body language experts during Russia’s Victory Day celebrations last week after speculation over his health emerged.