Putin speaks English at Alaska summit: surprising words

Putin speaks English at Alaska summit: surprising words

The last words of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit in Alaska fell in unusually happy English. "And next time in Moscow," said Putin in response to US President Donald Trump's proposal that they would see each other again very soon. This informal remark does not require translation.

Putin's language skills

Putin is known for occasionally making friendly comments in foreign languages. So he thanked at the end of his Summit with Trump In English with "Thank you so much". This meeting ended without an agreement To end the war in Ukraine. Typically, the Russian President, a former KGB secret service officer, uses translators so as not to speak in English.

Flowing German and English

Putin speaks German fluently. During his time as KGB officer He was stationed in Dresden in the GDR. It is known that he spoke German during his talks to the former Chancellor Angela Merkel. According to the Kremlin, he also speaks English well. In a telephone conversation in May, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was able to understand Trump's words before the translation came.

Putin's use of translators

According to Peskov, Putin "almost completely" understands English and even correct its interpreters, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported. "When he is on the road, he speaks most often. But during negotiations and official meetings he communicates over interpreters," added Peskov. This also gives the leaders freedom for their discussion.

Examples of Putin's language skills

Putin has also shown his linguistic talent outside of negotiation halls. In 2008, in an exclusive interview with CNN, he provided information about the conflict in Georgia. In 2013, he announced Russia's application for the organization of the 2020 World Exhibition in Jekaterinburg in a longer English statement and said: "It will be a national priority project". In a particularly remarkable appearance, he sang "Blueberry Hill" in St. Petersburg in 2010, despite some difficulties with the words. Celebrities like Kevin Costner and Goldie Hawn were in the audience and experienced this extraordinary performance.

During a video conference at the beginning of this year, Putin replied in German to a German who was aiming for Russian citizenship, and briefly chatted about his time in the former GDR. This made the other participants smile.

Trump reacts to Putin's invitation

On Friday, Trump immediately responded to Putin's invitation for further discussions in Moscow and said: "Oh, that's interesting. I don't know, I get a little headwind, but I could possibly imagine it. Thank you very much, Vladimir."