Merkel commented on Putin's apology after the episode with Kony's labrador

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, December 4, once again called it a show of force when Russian President Vladimir Putin brought his Labrador Koni to meet with her in Sochi in 2007.

"Even before our first meeting, before the episode with the labrador Kony, my advisor Christoph Heusgen informed the Russian side that I don't like dogs," she said.

Merkel pointed to the slim possibility that the Russian leader knew nothing about her fear. She added that with his actions, the head of state wanted to demonstrate strength and realize how resilient and strong she is.

Earlier, on November 28, Putin, speaking to journalists in Astana, repeatedly apologized to the former German chancellor for an incident involving the presence of his dog Kony at a meeting in 2007. The former chancellor wrote in her memoirs that the Russian leader's pet was present in the room when they were photographed, although the German side warned that the politician was afraid of dogs. Putin noted that he did not want to cause Merkel any heartache, but only, on the contrary, wanted to create a favorable atmosphere for a common conversation.

Back in February 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the situation, called it awkward 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.