Merkel revealed how Putin gave her a plush dog in 2006

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave former German Chancellor Angela Merkel a plush dog in 2006. Merkel told about it on December 11 in an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia.

According to the former chancellor, the Russian leader gave her a gift a year before the episode with the Labrador Koni.

Merkel recounted how her team told Putin's team in 2006 that she was afraid of dogs because one had once bitten her.

"That time he didn't bring a dog with him, but he gave me a big plush dog and said this one doesn't bite," Merkel recalled.

Earlier, on December 4, Merkel called it a show of force when President Putin brought his Labrador Koni to meet with her in Sochi in 2007.

Prior to that, on November 28, Putin, speaking to journalists in Astana, repeatedly apologized to the former German chancellor for the incident involving the presence of his dog at the 2007 meeting. The former chancellor wrote in her memoirs that the Russian leader's pet was present in the hall 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.