The White House Friday said it was operating under the assumption that Russian President Vladimir Putin is alive, as rumors swirl in Moscow about the condition of the strongman leader.
“I’d say so, yes,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said when asked if the U.S. thought Putin was still living.
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“I have enough trouble keeping track of one world leader,” Schultz quipped. “I would refer you to Russia for questions on theirs. I’m sure they’ll be very responsive.”
In Russia, however, Putin’s weeklong absence from the public stage has raised questions.
The Kremlin on Friday released photos of Putin meeting with the head of Russia’s Supreme Court. Media outlets have not been able to verify the authenticity of the photos.
Some have speculated that Putin could be sick and does not want to risk tarnishing his tough-guy Image.
Putin’s allies say the rumors about the Russian leader are absurd.
“He has meetings all the time,” a Putin spokesman told Reuters. “He has meetings today, tomorrow. I don’t know which ones we will make public.”