WASHINGTON, Oct 10: President George Bush raised with Russian President Vladimir Putin the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya and Mr Putin told him her death was a blow to Russia, the White House said on Tuesday.

Mr Bush and Mr Putin spoke by phone on Monday about North Korea’s nuclear test, but the first few minutes of the call dealt with the journalist’s execution-style slaying in Moscow on Saturday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

Mr Snow said Putin told Bush “the murder was a personal tragedy and a blow to Russia and raised questions about a free media and security for journalists.”

Politkovskaya’s funeral was held on Tuesday. She had reported human rights abuses in Chechnya and described Putin as a cynical liar.

Snow said Putin told Bush the journalist “did a lot of reporting about Chechnya and that her death was also a blow to the leadership of Chechnya. He said her death did the leadership more harm than her reporting did,” Snow said.

Putin promised a thorough investigation, told Bush it was not clear so far who was responsible, and said he had also not forgotten the case of Paul Klebnikov, an American who was editor of Forbes Russia when he was shot to death two years ago.

President Putin also faced tough questions about the journalist’s murder during a visit to Germany on Tuesday.

Questions about the contract-style killing, which has drawn global condemnation, dominated a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that also touched on business and energy issues.

Mr Putin did not elaborate on his information about the killers of Politkovskaya, a fierce critic of the president and Russia’s war in Chechnya.

“We must be clear that it was a dreadful and unacceptable crime which cannot be allowed to go unpunished,” Putin said in his first public remarks on the killing.

“We have information, and it is trustworthy, that there are people hiding from Russian justice and nurturing plans to sacrifice someone as a victim to create a wave of anti-Russian sentiments worldwide,” he said through an interpreter.

“(Politkovskaya) had minimal influence on political life in Russia. This murder does much more harm to Russia and Chechnya than any of her publications.”

Russian prosecutors have linked Politkovskaya’s murder to her work. She won prominence for her defence of human rights and criticism of government policies.—Reuters