Merkel turns down Putin's apology over Labrador incident
The ex-German chancellor asserts that the Russian president brought his dog to a 2007 meeting, fully aware of her fear of dogs. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin intentionally brought his Labrador dog to a 2007 meeting to “test” her, despite knowing her discomfort around dogs. Merkel emphasized that Putin was aware of her uneasiness with canines.
The black Labrador, Koni, made a brief appearance during discussions in Sochi, Russia, 17 years ago. Merkel's apprehension towards dogs stems from an incident in 1995, when she was bitten.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Merkel reflected on the experience, stating, “It’s a little, small attempt to test the waters – you know, how resilient a person is, how strong.” She expressed skepticism that Putin had merely overlooked her fear, especially because her aide had informed the Russian officials in advance.
“It’s a power play,” she asserted.
In her newly published memoir titled ‘Freedom’, Merkel reiterated that Putin had “intended to make a statement, even with the help of his Labrador Koni, if necessary.” She described her efforts to maintain her composure and ignore the dog during their 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 queried in her book.
In response to Merkel's claims, Russian President Putin stated last month that he was unaware of her fear of dogs prior to their 2007 meeting. “If I had known about it [back then], I would have never done it,” he affirmed, explaining that his intention in bringing Koni was to foster a “relaxed, pleasant atmosphere.” He noted that from his experience living in Germany, “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,” he recalled, adding that he had apologized to her once he learned about her fear. Addressing Merkel directly, he remarked, “Angela, please forgive me. I did not want to distress you in any way.”
Putin also made a promise: “If you ever come [to Russia], I realize that it is unlikely today, I will not do it again.” In a previous interview with German tabloid Bild in 2016, he mentioned that he had already expressed his apologies to Merkel.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
The black Labrador, Koni, made a brief appearance during discussions in Sochi, Russia, 17 years ago. Merkel's apprehension towards dogs stems from an incident in 1995, when she was bitten.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Merkel reflected on the experience, stating, “It’s a little, small attempt to test the waters – you know, how resilient a person is, how strong.” She expressed skepticism that Putin had merely overlooked her fear, especially because her aide had informed the Russian officials in advance.
“It’s a power play,” she asserted.
In her newly published memoir titled ‘Freedom’, Merkel reiterated that Putin had “intended to make a statement, even with the help of his Labrador Koni, if necessary.” She described her efforts to maintain her composure and ignore the dog during their 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 queried in her book.
In response to Merkel's claims, Russian President Putin stated last month that he was unaware of her fear of dogs prior to their 2007 meeting. “If I had known about it [back then], I would have never done it,” he affirmed, explaining that his intention in bringing Koni was to foster a “relaxed, pleasant atmosphere.” He noted that from his experience living in Germany, “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,” he recalled, adding that he had apologized to her once he learned about her fear. Addressing Merkel directly, he remarked, “Angela, please forgive me. I did not want to distress you in any way.”
Putin also made a promise: “If you ever come [to Russia], I realize that it is unlikely today, I will not do it again.” In a previous interview with German tabloid Bild in 2016, he mentioned that he had already expressed his apologies to Merkel.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
