President Putin publicly apologizes to former German Chancellor Merkel over the dog incident

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on November 28, saying he did not mean to scare her when he brought his pet dog to a meeting with her in 2007.

"I didn't know that she was afraid of dogs," President Putin said of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press conference in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on November 28, according to AFP.

"I once again addressed her through the media and said: Angela, forgive me, I do not want to cause you any pain. On the contrary, I want to create a favorable atmosphere for our conversation," Mr. Putin added.

At a meeting in 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin's black Labrador Koni walked around while then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel sat in a chair and smiled nervously.

"If you... come back, I will not do it under any circumstances," Mr. Putin affirmed. There is currently no information on the reaction of Ms. Merkel, who served as German chancellor from 2005 to 2021.

Images from a 2007 meeting between Mr Putin and Mrs Merkel in the Russian city of Sochi show Mr Putin's black Labrador, Koni, sniffing around while Mrs Merkel sits in her chair, smiling nervously.

In her memoir, former Chancellor Merkel described the incident as a challenge. "I tried to ignore the dog, even though it moved almost right next to me. I understood from Putin's facial expression that he was enjoying the situation," Merkel wrote.

"He just wanted to see how a person reacts in an accident? Was it a small show of strength? I just thought: stay calm, focus on the photographers, everything will pass," Ms. Merkel wrote.

Mr Putin is said to be a dog lover and has received several from visiting officials. He received Konni as a gift from Sergei Shoigu, who later became Russia's defence minister, according to AFP.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tong-thong-putin-cong-khai-xin-loi-cuu-thu-tuong-duc-merkel-vu-con-cho-185241129130825556.htm