The Russian president has denied using his pet labrador to intimidate the former German chancellor

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Angela Merkel for bringing his pet dog to their meeting 17 years ago, dismissing the former German chancellor’s claim that he wanted to make her feel uncomfortable.

Black labrador Koni briefly joined Putin and Merkel during their meeting in Sochi, Russia in 2007. Merkel, who is afraid of dogs after reportedly being bitten by one in 1995, later said the presence of Putin’s dog in the room made her feel uneasy. 

Putin “intended to make a statement, even with the help of his labrador Koni if necessary,” Merkel wrote in her recently released memoir titled ‘Freedom’. 

“While Putin and I posed seated for the photographers and cameramen at the beginning of our meeting so that they could take photos and cutaways of us, I tried to ignore the dog, even though he was moving more or less right next to me,” the former chancellor wrote, according to Politico. 

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“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? Was it a small demonstration of power? I just thought: stay calm, concentrate on the photographers, it will pass.”

During his interview with German tabloid Bild in 2016, Putin briefly mentioned that he had already apologized to Merkel. 

When asked about the incident again during his trip to Kazakhstan on Thursday, Putin reiterated that he was unaware of Merkel’s fear of dogs prior to their 2007 meeting. “If I had known about it [back then], I would have never done it,” he told reporters. 

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Putin said that he hoped to create “a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere,” adding that his own experience living in Germany taught him 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. “When I found out, I apologized to her.” 

The Russian leader used the opportunity to appeal to Merkel directly. “Angela, please forgive me. I did not want to distress you in any way,” he said. “If you ever come [to Russia] – I realize that it is unlikely today – I will not do it again.”