Vladimir Putin is in good health, his chief of staff has said, after Japanese media said prime minister Yoshihiko Noda had postponed a visit to Moscow next month because the Russian president had a health problem.
A former KGB officer who enjoys vast authority in Russia, Mr Putin has long cultivated a tough-guy image and health issues could damage that. His condition has been questioned in some media since he was seen limping at a summit in September.
Three Russian government sources told Reuters in October that Mr Putin, who began a six-year term in May and turned 60 last month, had back trouble. – (Reuters)