Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has revealed in her memoir how Russian President Vladimir Putin deliberately used his Labrador to intimidate her during a 2007 meeting in Sochi, despite knowing about her fear of dogs.
In a striking account of diplomatic power play, Merkel described how Putin allowed his black Labrador, Konni, to approach her during a photo opportunity, even though her fear of dogs had been previously communicated to Russian officials.
“I tried to ignore the dog, even though he was moving more or less right next to me. I interpreted Putin’s facial expressions as meaning that he was enjoying the situation,” Merkel wrote. “Was this a small demonstration of power? I just thought stay calm, concentrate on the photographers, it will pass. When it was actually over, I did not say a word to Putin about it.”
The incident occurred despite explicit requests from German diplomatic staff to keep the dog away. The year prior, Putin had already demonstrated his awareness of Merkel’s phobia by presenting her with a stuffed dog in Moscow, commenting that “it did not bite,” according to her memoir.
The former chancellor’s fear of dogs stemmed from a traumatic incident in early 1995 when she was bitten by a dog in Germany’s Uckermark region, according to Merkel. She said her fear was well-known to Russian officials, as her adviser Christoph Heusgen had specifically informed his Russian counterpart Sergei Prichodko about it, before her meeting with Putin.
The latest revelations came from Merkel’s highly anticipated memoir, Freedom. Memories 1954-2021, released on Tuesday, which detailed behind-the-scenes insights into her relationships with world leaders.
Merkel had served as German chancellor from 2005 to 2021 and was widely recognized as Europe’s most influential political leader during her tenure. As Germany’s first female chancellor and a physicist from East Germany, she guided Europe’s largest economy through multiple crises, earning the affectionate nickname “Mutti” (Mother) among her people.