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Vladimir Putin is said to have chosen drastic words in conversation with the ex-Prime Minister of Great Britain: Putin would have directly attacked Boris Johnson. “He kind of threatened me at one point,” Johnson announced earlier this week.

It wouldn’t be the first time. Putin’s psycho tricks always cause a stir: the Kremlin chief and former secret service employee knows a number of methods to intimidate and expose his counterpart – and uses them in meetings and discussions with the world’s powerful when it comes to him seems useful. A selection.

“Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but…”

It was recently announced this week that Vladimir Putin would have threatened former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson directly with a missile strike. According to the British news agency PA, Johnson said Putin made it very clear in a telephone conversation just over a year ago shortly before the start of the major invasion of Ukraine: “At one point he almost threatened me and said, ‘Boris, I want you don’t hurt, but with me a rocket it only takes a minute’ or something.’

As prime minister, Johnsons attempted to divert Putin from his course shortly before the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Kremlin boss, for his part, apparently responded with the provocation. However, the Kremlin rejected the statements on Monday. That was “a lie,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

But since the incident became public, there has been speculation whether Putin also threatened Chancellor Olaf Scholz in phone calls or at least pressured him. The telephone conversations between the heads of government are a means – also of the federal government – ​​to keep the thread of the talks with Russia alive during the war and despite heavy sanctions. However, Scholz keeps a low profile on the matter, only making selected information from the conversations public.

Angry death threat at Sarkozy talks

However, in 2008 there was already an incident. Putin was prime minister at the time because he was no longer a presidential candidate after two terms in office and had simply switched posts with Dmitry Medvedev. He then spoke with the then French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

According to Times Online, the conversation took place at the Kremlin in mid-August 2008. At that time, Russian tanks were almost 50 kilometers from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been smoldering for years. Then, on August 8, 2008, Russia attacked Georgia by air, land, and sea. In an interview, Frenchman Sarkozy told Russian Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Putin allegedly said he would “hang Mikhail Saakashvili by the balls”.

Putin is said to have replied to Sarkozy’s surprised question: “The Americans also hanged Saddam Hussein.” But whether he wanted to end up like US President Bush, Sarkozy objected. Bush had been widely criticized for the war in Iraq, which was later classified as illegal under international law. Putin was speechless for a moment – then replied: “Hit for you.” Putin repeatedly accused Saakashvili of being a war criminal and equated him with Saddam Hussein. The Russian war in Georgia subsequently had serious consequences for relations with the EU.

In 2007, Angela Merkel experienced Putin’s idiosyncratic demeanor. The then Chancellor visited Putin in Sochi. He let a labrador dog roam the conference room – even though Putin knows that Merkel is afraid of dogs. Nevertheless, he allowed the black bitch to even put her muzzle on Merkel’s thigh.

Merkel was visibly uncomfortable, but said nothing. Putin looked smug, the intimidation was successful and he no doubt knew about the effect of the photos that would then circulate internationally. After retiring from politics, Angela Merkel said in an interview: “He knew I was scared.” Merkel was bitten by a dog as a child.

Putin had previously ridiculed her fear of dogs. Shortly after Merkel became chancellor in 2005, he surprised her by saying, “I heard you have a problem with dogs.” Then he gave her a big stuffed dog as a gift.

Scholz demoted to schoolboy

Sometimes Putin also uses attempts at intimidation, which, due to their oversized nature, lead to ridicule. So in 2022, when several heads of government traveled to Moscow one after the other to influence Putin and avert an invasion of Ukraine.

Putin seated his respective guest at a huge white table more shouting distance than conversation distance, also symbolically illustrating the opposite of political closeness and familiarity. French President Emmanuel Macron took a seat there, as did German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In this way, Putin made it clear to the world public how the relations between the countries were: the distance between them could hardly have been greater. The scene sparked social media outrage, saying that Putin had lost his sense of reality.

Spy boss exposed in front of rolling cameras

And in the National Security Council, an internal Russian body with powerful Putin confidants, the Kremlin boss has his own people appear. In February 2022, the head of Russia’s foreign espionage, Sergei Naryshkin, became bogged down in an issue involving the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. At that point, Russia announced it would “recognize” the regions as independent territories – a decisive step for the invasion of Ukraine that began soon after.

“I will support the proposal for recognition…” Naryshkin began at the time. Putin interrupted: «’I will support’ or ‘I support’? Say it straight, Sergey!” Naryshkin then had to clarify and repeat what had been said, and Putin interrupted him again. Naryshkin stood there helpless, trembling, while Putin, who can rule over Naryshkin’s future, seemed to enjoy his power, alternating between a grin and a serious expression.

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(t online)