"After 17 years, Putin issued a 'dog apology' to Merkel."

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement 17 years later regarding the "dog crisis" that occurred during a meeting with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2007.

During the meeting held in Sochi in 2007, Putin brought his black Labrador dog 'Koni' into the meeting room, which made Merkel quite uneasy. In a photo taken at that time, the dog can be seen standing in the middle of the room while Merkel has a worried expression on her face.

APOLOGY FROM PUTIN 17 YEARS LATER

The former chancellor commented on this incident in her memoirs published on Tuesday, interpreting it as an attempt by Putin to assert his power. According to a report on the T-Online news site, Putin, speaking on the matter, stated that he was unaware of Merkel's dog phobia, saying, "If I had known this, I would never have done such a thing." In his statement regarding the issue, Putin emphasized that his intention was not to upset Merkel, but rather to create a "friendly atmosphere," and addressed Merkel by saying, "Angela, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."