Angela Merkel accuses Putin of exploiting her fear of dogs in meeting

Angela Merkel has accused Vladimir Putin of enjoying her discomfort after the Russian president brought his pet Labrador into a meeting despite her fear of dogs.

Following the pair's first meeting in Sochi in 2007, the German Chancellor claimed that Putin had deliberately brought along his pet Connie in an attempt to intimidate and unnerve her.

Putin, at the time, dismissed the claims and told German publication Bild: 'I did not know anything about that,' when quizzed on his intentions.

The incident became infamous in Germany with claims that that it was part of a power strategy by Putin to gain an advantage in their all-important first meeting.

Now, speaking to The Times, Merkel has opened up on her relationship and history with the Russian leader, claiming he knew perfectly well that she was frightened of dogs.

'I could tell from Putin's facial expressions,' she wrote, 'that he was enjoying the situation'.

Putin purportedly asked Merkel at the beginning of the meeting when Connie entered the room: 'The dog does not bother you, does she? She's a friendly dog and I'm sure she will behave herself.

'No, she doesn't eat journalists after all,' Merkel responded to Putin in his native Russian, in what was thought to be an attempt to make light of the situation.

Although she was laughing during the conversation, images from the 2007 meeting show how hard the German politician was trying to hide her fear.

Photos show Merkel wearing a nervous smile as she looked down at the large black dog while it walks towards her.

With her legs crossed and her hands firmly clasped together in her lap, Merkel was a picture of tension as she tried to disguise her longstanding fear of canines.

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Putin said that Connie, who died aged 15 in 2014 and was a gift from Russia's Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu, was a friendly dog.

Following a tense first meeting, it seemed Merkel would keep up her reservations surrounding the Russian President for several years to come.

In 2022, Merkel defended her approach to Ukraine and Russia during her 16 years as Germany's leader, saying she had 'nothing to apologise for'.

In her first substantial comments since she left office, Merkel said there was 'no justification whatsoever' for the 'brutal' and illegal war of aggression, adding that Putin had made 'a big mistake'.

She warned the tyrant president wanted 'to destroy Europe' and urged the EU 'to stick together now'.

In her recent conversation with The Times, Merkel also went on to share her feelings about Donald Trump's first term as President of the United States of America.

In her book, she revealed she scolded herself for prompting him to shake her hand in front of cameras when they met in 2017 before realising his rudeness was deliberate.

He wanted to create conversation fodder through his behaviour,' she wrote, while she was acting 'as though I were having a discussion with someone completely normal'. 

She concluded from her Washington visit: 'There could be no cooperative work for an interconnected world with Trump.'

But she did explain how although the pair had experienced some mutual tension, she found herself agreeing with him on one issue.

'There was a point that I have to accept: he said that our expenditure for defence was not enough,' she admitted. 

Merkel herself had argued for this, but failed to persuade coalition partners. 

'But, otherwise, just stay firm. You don't have to be especially friendly, but you don't have to be especially harsh. Just be however you are as a person. You have to make the best of the situation. And especially don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.'