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Kremlin believes insults against Putin in Focus magazine inadmissible

This actually casts a shadow on the reputation of the magazine itself, the Kremlin spokesman said
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

SOCHI, September 13. /TASS/. The Kremlin does not pore over the publications of the German magazine Focus but believes that any insults published in the bulletin, including those against Russian President Vladimir Putin, are unacceptable.

"Of course, any insults are unacceptable. This actually casts a shadow on the reputation of the magazine itself," Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday. He added that the Kremlin has never shown any considerable interest in the magazine’s work due to its bias.

"The fact is that this publication is known for its extreme bias, to a large extent, as far as our country is concerned, based on Russophobia, so we show no considerable interest in this publication’s information, because we do not consider it a source worthy of attention," the Kremlin spokesman stressed.

The German weekly magazine Focus, in an article dedicated to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, earlier published the phrase "Sie hat zwar Angst vor Putins Hund, aber kiene Angst vor dem Hund Putin", which, according to the magazine, should have been translated as "She is afraid of Putin’s dog but is not afraid of ‘tough nut’ Putin."

The Russian Embassy in Germany said that such remarks targeting the Russian president, which could be interpreted in two ways, are insulting. The diplomatic mission also said it is waiting for apologies from the magazine’s editors.

The publication explained the meaning of the words used in the article. According to Deutsche Welle, the magazine just wanted to call Putin "a tough nut." "We had no intention of offending or humiliating [Putin]. That was rather an ironic play on words," Focus Spokesperson Alice Wagner told the TV network, adding that it is impossible to adequately convey the irony in the Russian language.