this post was submitted on 10 May 2025
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Using the Kremlin’s interpreter was “a very bad idea” that put Witkoff “at a real disadvantage,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, told NBC News.

Donald Trump’s special envoy broke with long-standing protocol by not employing his own interpreter during three high-level meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, opting instead to rely on translators from the Kremlin, a U.S. official and two Western officials with knowledge of the talks told NBC News.

Steve Witkoff, who has been tasked with negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, met with Putin in Moscow for several hours on Feb. 11, on March 13, and in St. Petersburg on April 11, and “used their translators,” one of the Western officials said. “If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn’t know what they are saying,” the official added, referring to Putin and the interpreters.

Witkoff, a former real estate mogul and cryptocurrency trader, does not speak Russian. By using Kremlin interpreters, he ran the risk that some of the nuance in Putin’s messages was missed and he would not have been able to independently verify what was being said to him, two former American ambassadors said.

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[–] mutual_ayed@sh.itjust.works 99 points 1 week ago (7 children)

America has Russian speaking interpreters....wtf was he using a Kremlin one for?

[–] ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 90 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

The administration finds itself reeling after firing all of our translators due to “foreign language being woke globalist DEI marxism, speak english”

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I genuinely can't tell if this is satire or fact

[–] ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 27 points 1 week ago

I cant either and I wrote it. Its both satirical and also a highly plausible explanation. Although we all know the one set of translators they wouldnt fire are the Russian ones

[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

That is the price we had to pay for this new meritocracy of highly competent and experienced administrators

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago

During his first term, a US interpreter was seriously concerned about the conversation.

Now he trusts Russian interpreters more than his own.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

That way it'll be easier to convey Putin's instructions.

[–] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Because he works for the blyats. It’s as clear as the day is long.

[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Maybe doge fired the last one.

[–] griff@lemmings.world 1 points 1 week ago

They’re saving us all a tremendous amount of money!!!

[–] vegeta@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago

FTFY

Trump ~~envoy~~ relied on Kremlin ~~interpreter in meetings with Putin to end war in Ukraine~~

[–] Frjttr@lemm.ee 28 points 1 week ago

He’s so helplessly dumb.

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Ya im sure the interpreter made sure everything was communicated in a way that didn't put Russian interests first

[–] uawarebrah@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago

Almost as if he’s incredibly incompetent.

[–] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It’s only a bad idea if you want what’s best for the world excluding the blyats.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 week ago

the irony is that the better world will be better for the blyats and the american blyats. they just can't see it because they're so deeply steeped in the propaganda and information war. and they think they're the ones who really know what's going on but are stuck in their mindset

[–] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Just one more thing to blame when the "deal" ends up being as bad as they want it to be. Ignoring that it would also be their fault if a "mistranslation" led to the deal being bad. They only have to trick idiots into continuing to be strung along...

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

At this point, all I can do is shake my head and laugh. I’d be concerned if these were supposed to be good faith negotiations, but they’re not, so what the fuck ever.

They might as well be using sock puppets. Only idiots take these people seriously.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 1 points 1 week ago

Classic case of "I have never done this before and don't want to ask questions for fear of looking stupid."