Putin addressed Merkel and apologized for the incident with a labrador in Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to journalists in Astana on November 28, apologized again to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for an incident involving the presence of his dog Connie during one of their meetings in Sochi in 2007.

The former chancellor previously wrote in her memoirs that during a meeting with the Russian leader, his pet was present in the room when they were photographed, even though the German side warned that the politician was afraid of dogs.

"I appeal to her once again: Angela, please forgive me, I did not want to cause you any heartache, on the contrary, I wanted to create a favorable atmosphere for our conversation," Putin addressed her via the media.

The president added that Merkel had a peculiar psychological trauma: as she later said, she was bitten by a dog as a child. Upon learning about it, the Russian leader apologized to her.

Putin concluded that if Merkel ever comes to visit him, "he will in no way" take a dog to the event, " Gazeta.Ru" added.

Back in February 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the situation, called it embarrassing and emphasized that it was "not out of malice."

Labrador Kony was Putin's favorite and was often present at meetings at the president's country residences. The pet moved freely around the house, and Putin's guests often gave the dog treats.

The dog died in 2014 at the age of 15.