Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska had high-stakes negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine this week in Anchorage, Alaska. The leaders exchanged greetings on the runway, shook hands, and took photos before going into the building for their historic summit.
As photos of the summit made their way online, an old question ensued on social media – does Vladimir Putin speak English?
Which Languages Does Putin Speak?
Vladimir Putin is reported to speak English fluently and have a good command of the language. Nevertheless, he hardly uses English for public appearance or official appearances and instead uses interpreters for political matters when meeting world leaders.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained, “in open conversation, at the margins of summits, he tends to talk English on his own. But in negotiations and when he is holding an official session, naturally, he speaks through an interpreter. But he effectively speaks English fluently and sometimes even corrects interpreters.”
Putin reportedly prefers using an interpreter because he feels more at ease speaking his native Russian.
Apart from Russian, Putin also speaks German fluently, a talent he acquired in his stint as an officer with the KGB stationed in East Germany back in the 1980s. He has also used German in diplomatic negotiations, such as when speaking with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Why Putin Prefers Translators While Interacting With World Leaders?
Despite his English skills, Putin, an ex-KGB officer, typically uses translators during official meetings. In May, during a phone call with Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Putin could get a sense of Trump’s words before the interpreter relayed the translation. This suggests that he was likely able to understand his US counterpart during their brief travel together in Trump’s presidential limo after arriving in Alaska.
As early as 2017, the Kremlin stated that Putin understands English “almost completely” and even corrects his interpreters, according to Russia’s Izvestia newspaper.
Peskov explained, “when he is on the go, Putin most often speaks English, but when negotiations are conducted and when an official meeting is taking place, of course, he communicates through interpreters. I myself have been translating at the highest level for a long time, so I know what kind of stress it is.”
Instances When Putin Spoke In English
Putin has shown his language skills on several occasions beyond official meetings.
In 2008, he provided an interview with CNN on the war in Georgia, partly in English.
In 2013, he made a two-and-a-half-minute speech in English, declaring Russia’s candidacy to host the 2020 World Expo in Yekaterinburg, calling it “a priority national project.”
In 2010, Putin sang “Blueberry Hill” in English during a charity ball in St. Petersburg, where there were Hollywood stars such as Kevin Costner, Goldie Hawn, and Kurt Russell.
Earlier this year, speaking at a video conference, he answered back in fluent German to one of the German citizens who asked for Russian citizenship and recounted stories of his stay in East Germany, which set the officials laughing.
On Friday, Trump reacted to Putin’s invitation for another round of meetings in Moscow. “Ooh, that’s an interesting one. I don’t know, I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening. Thank you very much, Vladimir,” he said.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
