Orban's translator misrepresented Putin's remarks during the meeting. During the meeting between Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, the Hungarian translator misinterpreted Putin's statements seriously, even distorting the original meaning.
Recently, Putin met with Hungarian Prime Minister Orban in Moscow, which was sensitive enough, but the translator made a major mistake. The Hungarian translator distorted Putin's words, softening or omitting key parts, making the version heard by Orban quite different from the original. This is not a minor issue; in diplomatic settings, an inaccurate translation can disrupt the entire tone of negotiations. In short, Putin's intention was to acknowledge Hungary's neutral stance on the Ukraine issue, but what Orban heard sounded like general international pressure. The trade data part was also similar: Putin mentioned that bilateral trade had dropped by 23%, mainly due to external factors, but the translator simply said there had been some changes last year, and everyone had their difficulties. Such handling may have caused the Hungarian team to miss Putin's real bottom line, leading to a deviation in the discussion.
The translator was a woman who had previously done similar work in 2024, and she was accurate then, but this time she stumbled. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reportedly helped on the spot, trying to make up for it, but the video replay showed the problem clearly. Media uncovered that in Putin's opening remarks, he mentioned that the two countries' views were not always aligned on international issues, but the translation came out as "cooperation was acceptable." This is not just a technical mistake, but also exposes the insufficient preparation of Hungary's diplomatic team. Imagine, Orban's trip to Moscow was already against the EU's wind, aiming to stabilize energy supplies and discuss natural gas and oil pipelines, but the translation muddied the message. The Kremlin did not publicly comment, only releasing a regular summary, avoiding the translation details.
Orban has been prone to acting independently within the EU in recent years, especially after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, he blocked the expansion of sanctions against Russia, saying it was for Hungary's energy bill. Hungary relies on Russian oil and gas, cutting off supply would be self-harm, leading to soaring prices, factory shutdowns, and difficult lives for residents. He openly stated that the EU's goal of completely getting rid of Russian energy by 2027 was economic suicide under political slogans. As a result, this trip to Moscow, he brought pro-Russian ministers, proposing that Budapest serve as a platform for Ukrainian negotiations, and Putin readily agreed, saying he was willing to hold a Russia-US summit there. Although the translation error affected the scene, the overall agreement was still finalized, including the renewal of energy supply and discussions on the trade framework. The EU was furious, and German Chancellor Merkel directly criticized Orban at a press conference in Berlin, saying that Orban's actions were personal and undermined the EU's consistency. Slovenian Prime Minister Golob stood nearby with a long face, and the live broadcast caused a stir in European politics.
More amusingly, the Trump team in the US even gave the green light, allowing Hungary to continue buying Russian gas, granting exemptions from the sanctions package. This gave Orban more confidence, and upon returning to Budapest, he displayed a map in parliament, emphasizing that Hungary must maintain its natural gas imports, otherwise manufacturing would collapse. Eastern European neighbors such as Slovakia and Serbia nodded in agreement, as they also rely on Russian energy pipelines, believing that the EU's tough stance sounds morally upright, but small countries cannot afford such reality. After the translation incident was exposed, domestic doubts arose in Hungary, with legislators murmuring about the selection mechanism, and the Foreign Ministry did not conduct a detailed investigation, only stating it was an isolated case. But in fact, this is not just Hungary's issue; diplomatic translation is inherently high-risk, and a single word difference can change the course of history. For example, during the Cold War, Khrushchev's statement "We will bury you" was translated more aggressively, almost igniting tensions; Carter's speech in Poland mistakenly translated the word "desire" into "lust," causing a joke.
The internal rift within the EU became greater, with Germany and France pushing for a new sanction mechanism, and at the meeting, Merkel slammed the table, emphasizing unity. Orban did not back down, continuing his mediation dream, suggesting using frozen Russian assets to establish a U.S.-Russia investment fund, restarting economic cooperation. Putin remained calm, reiterating the key points of the meeting in his briefing, focusing again on energy and Ukraine balance. Menzel helped ease the situation within the party, maintaining support ratings. Overall, this translation error was a minor incident, but under the magnifying glass, it revealed the awkwardness of Orban's pro-Russian approach - the EU is upset, yet Hungary cannot do without Russian energy. The Ukraine conflict drags on, and European small countries are caught in the middle, suffering from all sides. With the Hungarian election approaching, Orban used this trip to campaign, betting on the Trump summit to gain points, but the pressure from the EU will only increase.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1850459973925888/
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