Merkel rejects Putin’s Labrador apology

The former German chancellor claims the Russian president brought his pet to a 2007 meeting despite knowing that she is afraid of dogs

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin deliberately brought his Labrador dog to a meeting they held back in 2007 to “test” her. The veteran politician insisted that Putin was aware that she feels uneasy around canines.

Black Labrador Koni briefly joined the pair during talks in Sochi, Russia 17 years ago. The former head of the German government was reportedly bitten by a dog back in 1995, and has been wary of them since then.

Recalling the encounter in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Merkel said: “It’s a little, small attempt to test the waters – you know, how resilient a person is, how strong.” She argued that it was unlikely that Putin had simply forgotten about her dislike of dogs, since her aide had warned Russian officials about it beforehand.

“It’s a power play,” she concluded.

In her recently published memoir, titled ‘Freedom’, Merkel similarly wrote that Putin had “intended to make a statement, even with the help of his Labrador Koni, if necessary.” The former chancellor recalled how she had tried to ignore the dog and keep her cool during the meeting.

“I interpreted Putin’s facial expressions to mean that he was enjoying the situation. Did he just want to see how a person in distress reacts?” she asked in her book.

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Speaking to reporters late last month, the Russian president reiterated that he had no idea about Merkel’s fear of dogs prior to their 2007 encounter.

“If I had known about it [back then], I would have never done it,” he insisted, adding that by bringing Koni along, he was in fact hoping to create a “relaxed, pleasant atmosphere.” He understood from his personal experience of living in Germany that “people there have a very positive attitude towards pets.”

“I thought she would enjoy it. Later, I found out that she is afraid of dogs,” Putin said, noting that “when I found out, I apologized to her.”

The Russian president addressed the ex-German chancellor directly: “Angela, please forgive me. I did not want to distress you in any way.”

“If you ever come [to Russia], I realize that it is unlikely today, I will not do it again,” Putin added.

During an interview with German tabloid Bild back in 2016, the Russian president also said he had already apologized to Merkel.