2 Japanese spies posing as journalists fear I have trained my dog to have a taste for human flesh. Smile nervously.https://t.co/jMCSJbr4Sp
— Darth Putin (@DarthPutinKGB) December 14, 2016
This is a pretty funny clip and although it looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin brought this large dog — an Akita named Yume — to a press conference with two Japanese journalists to intimidate them, there’s more going on than meets the eye.
The dog was given to Putin as a puppy as a thank you for Russia’s help during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. According to a transcript of the encounter, the two journalists had asked to see the dog. As they say, be careful what you ask for:
Russian President Vladimir Putin's 4-year-old dog gives two Japanese journalists an earful https://t.co/j17vqHedLq pic.twitter.com/uOUJ0N12Ju
— CNN (@CNN) December 14, 2016
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: I was told that you wanted to see my dog, Yume. You can see that she is in great shape.
Question: Thank you very much. The dog is very cheerful indeed.
We would like to thank you again for finding time to grant an interview to Nippon TV and Yomiuri Shimbun. This dog is an Akita from Akita Prefecture, and we are glad to see Yume happy and cheerful. However, we were a bit surprised and afraid that the beginning of the meeting would be like this.
Vladimir Putin: You were right to take caution, Yume is a no-nonsense dog. There are many people here, with camcorders running, lights shining and cameras clicking. She is being a guard dog.
Putin met with these two journalists ahead of his upcoming meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the disputed Kuril Islands in the Pacific. The Japanese attempted to give Putin a second Akita ahead of the peace talks, but it was refused:
Ahead of Putin visit, Russia declines Japanese ‘puppy-love diplomacy’ https://t.co/ZvILcUm72k pic.twitter.com/s1myWI7eMk
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) December 10, 2016
Maybe Donald Trump should give Putin a dog just to see how the U.S. media reacts?
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