Putin claims Rasmussen secretly recorded their talks while being Danish PM
MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen secretly recorded negotiations between the two when Rasmussen was Danish prime minister and then had them published in the media without Putin's permission.
"The current NATO secretary general, Mr. Rasmussen, was the prime minister of Denmark some time ago. It's an excellent country, and its people are marvelous. We have perfect relations with Denmark, at least we think we've had them until present, and I hope it will continue to be so," Putin said during a Q&A session on Thursday.
"At one of the meetings, when he was prime minister of Denmark, he asked me for a [personal] meeting, which had not been planned, I agreed, and we met and talked. Turns out he had had a recorder on him, secretly recorded our conversation, and then published it in the media. I could not believe my ears and eyes," he said.
"Just some nonsense. He explained that he had recorded that conversation for history. Recording for history - surely, I am flattered. However, he should have at least warned me or at least asked for my permission before publishing these negotiations. What trust can there be after such incidents?" Putin said.