Two thumbs up from Vladimir!
Angela, not so much.
A #Femen activist catches #Merkel and #Putin off-guard in Hannover. (This is a caption contest waiting to happen.) pic.twitter.com/BY2cdfKtwo
— Douglas Herbert (@dougf24) April 8, 2013
The incident happened this morning at a trade fair in Hannover, Germany when the leaders were confronted by an activist from Ukrainian feminist group Femen, known for drawing attention to its causes via much-photographed topless protests.
The protester also had an anti-Putin slogan daubed in Cyrillic script on her back, according to reports.
Three protestors accosted Mr Putin's party by the Volkswagen exhibit, according to HAZ, denouncing the Russian president as a 'dictator'.
They were however stopped by security staff before reaching Mr Putin.
A spokesperson for the Russian parliament has described the incident as 'hooliganism'.
The Russian leader is a frequent target of Femen protests, including those angered by the jailing of members of punk band Pussy Riot last year for singing anti-Putin songs.
"We are peaceful terrorists" (Femen activist, Paris 2012):