Better late than never? We still need to be able to ensure the sincerity of these words. Regardless, Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he didn't know that former German leader Angela Merkel was “afraid of dogs,” citing a famous 2007 incident in which the Russian president had her scared when she brought her labrador into the room.
Vladimir Putin, visiting Kazakhstan, was questioned by a journalist regarding this anecdote which Angela Merkel experienced as a “demonstration of power”, according to her memoir published this week.
“A relaxed and pleasant atmosphere”
“As I told Merkel, I didn’t know she was afraid of dogs,” he assured. “If I had known, I never would have done it. I wanted, on the contrary, to create a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere,” insisted the Russian president, causing smiles on the faces of some journalists present.
“I address her again: Angela, excuse me, I did not want to cause you pain,” Vladimir Putin said. The animal, named Konni, approached Angela Merkel to sniff her. The manager's phobia of dogs, bitten in her youth, is public knowledge.
For Merkel, Putin's intention is in no doubt
The ex-leader does not have the same memory of this meeting. In her memoirs, Angela Merkel assures that the Russian president “relished the situation” and perhaps wanted to “show his power” or put her “under pressure”. “Keep calm, focus on the photographers, it won’t last long,” she said to herself.
She also assures that Vladimir Putin knew very well that she was afraid of dogs. The Russian president, on the contrary, loves these animals very much. Knowing this, Angela Merkel's team had expressly asked the Kremlin that Vladimir Putin not bring his dog during their meetings, according to the former leader.
She claims that, during their very first meeting in Moscow, in 2006, he respected this wish. Instead, he gave her a gift: a black and white stuffed dog. “He told me he didn’t bite,” says Angela Merkel.
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