MOSCOW, Dec. 10 (UPI) — Russian President Vladimir Putin turned down Japan’s gift of a male Akita puppy ahead of a planned summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Putin, scheduled to meet with Abe on Dec. 15, turned down the diplomatic presentintended to be a partner to his female Akita, Yume, which was given to the Russian leader by Japan in 2012. Putin and Abe are expected to discuss a decades-old territorial dispute and possibly sign trade deals.
“Unfortunately, we heard from our counterparts, and our hope to present a bridegroom was dashed,” House of Representatives member Koichi Hagiuda said in a blog post on Friday.
Putin also owns a male Bulgarian Shepherd named Buffy, given to him in 2010 by the Bulgarian prime minister.
