Overview

• At the Alaska summit, Putin addressed President Trump directly in English, saying “And next time in Moscow” and “thank you so much” without a translator.
• The brief unscripted line drew global attention but did not affect the summit’s result, as talks ended without an agreement on Ukraine.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Putin often speaks English informally at summit sidelines yet relies on translators in official meetings for accuracy.
• Putin’s fluency in German and command of English date back to his 1980s KGB posting in Dresden and are evidenced by past interviews and public statements.
• Analysts note that interpreter use at high-level talks preserves nuance and flexibility, making the lone English sentence a calculated diplomatic gesture rather than a shift in practice.