"No loving coincidence": Merkel reports on TV about Putin's brazen attempt at intimidation

Created: 08/06/2022, 21:58

By: Richard Strobl

During her big TV appearance, Angela Merkel addressed a previous attempt at intimidation by Putin.

A dog played the main role - there was laughter in the audience.

Berlin - Six months after leaving office, former Chancellor Angela Merkel answered questions from journalist Alexander Osang for the first time in a TV talk at Phoenix.

The focus was on the Chancellor's Russia policy.

Merkel was sometimes heavily criticized for being so dependent on Russian energy supplies, but has so far remained silent.

Now she answered, and in doing so she also referred to an old story about a meeting with Putin.

Merkel intimidated by dog ​​during Putin visit?

A picture of Merkel during a visit to Vladimir Putin in 2007 is famous. A large black dog walks in front of the two.

Putin smiles, the chancellor looks tense.

Even then it was known that Merkel did not respond too well to dogs because of a previous dog bite.

The conclusion: Putin wanted to intimidate Merkel with the dog.

Koni, Russian President Vladimir Putin's black Labrador, walks through the room when his master meets Chancellor Angela Merkel.

© Dmitry Astakhov/dpa

Interviewer Alexander Osang takes up the story again in the Phoenix Talk.

It was reported to him that Putin had asked in advance whether he could bring the dog with him and even that he wanted to make Merkel happy with it.

Merkel causes laughter in the hall with her answer to Putin's question

Merkel reacts clearly: "Well" and has to grin.

Laughter erupts in the hall.

Then the chancellor adds: "Those who believe it will be blissful".

Then Merkel goes on: "My first visit to the Kremlin, which was before the Sochi visit, was such that Putin said to me: I heard you have a problem with dogs." He said he had a very big one for her Hand over stuffed dog.

"In this respect, I could not classify the dog in Sochi as a loving coincidence," said Merkel.

"He didn't ask either," Oseng interjects.

"No question has come to my attention," Merkel clarified in conclusion.

She then spoke about her bouts of tremors towards the end of her tenure.