Putin has declared that Russia will use nuclear weapons to guard its sovereignty if wanted, amid its ongoing warfare in Ukraine. He made the feedback throughout a speech on the International Economic Forum in St Petersburg this week. The Russian President engaged in comparable nuclear sabre-rattling in February as he put the Russian nuclear forces on excessive alert, following the invasion of Ukraine.

One one who has witnessed the Kremlin strongman’s threatening behaviour first-hand is Angela Merkel, who defended her dealing with of Putin earlier this month.

The former German Chancellor, who stepped down after 16 years in December, met her Russian counterpart dozens of instances throughout her profession.

However, one assembly between the political heavyweights in 2007 noticed Putin “take pleasure in” horrifying Ms Merkel, in accordance with neuroscientist Professor Ian Robertson.

Speaking within the unearthed BBC documentary, ‘Putin: The New Tsar’, he mentioned: “One factor that struck me was an anecdote about Putin, which reveals to me that he is most likely not a really good individual.

“Angela Merkel is afraid of canines and made the error of divulging this to Putin.

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“One time when she was in Russia, what did he do? Bring this huge, horrible large canine into the room.

“Just in order that he might benefit from the energy that comes…the considerably sadistic energy that comes from making somebody frightened.”

Professor Robertson, the founding director of Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, has helped successive world leaders attempt to perceive Putin.

The documentary, which first aired in 2018, charts Putin’s rise to energy from a KGB agent in East Germany to the Russian presidency.

A string of world leaders have struggled to grapple with Putin, who is thought for flouting worldwide norms and political conventions.

Germany has struggled to wean itself off Russian fuel imports, which have been key to the German financial system.

Ms Merkel addressed Russian-German ties earlier this month as she was interviewed by broadcaster ARD.

She mentioned: “We should discover a option to co-exist regardless of all our variations.”

She additionally claimed that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is “not simply unacceptable but in addition a significant mistake by Russia”.

She added: “If we begin going again via the centuries and arguing over which little bit of territory ought to belong to whom, then we are going to solely have warfare. That’s not an possibility in any way.”

The German chief additionally defended the sanctions that had been imposed on Russia after it annexed Crimea in 2014, and her participation within the Minsk peace course of, which was supposed to finish the combating in jap Ukraine.

She mentioned: “I haven’t got responsible myself for not attempting onerous sufficient.

“I do not see that I’ve to say ‘that was improper’ and that is why I’ve nothing to apologise for.”

‘Putin: The New Tsar’ is obtainable to stream on BBC iPlayer.