LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, irked by a translator’s failure to interpret his comments properly into English at a major news conference, on Thursday took over the job himself.
Zelenskiy – who prefers to speak Ukrainian in public – acted after the interpreter cut short his remarks during an event with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Turning towards the interpreter, he said pointedly: “And I said about the window of possibilities. I said that it couldn’t be solved because … we see each day guns and firing from the Russian side”.
He continued: “And I said ‘Slava Ukraini’ (Glory to Ukraine)”.
“Glory to Ukraine,” the translator quickly replied.
“Thank you so much. It’s important,” Zelenskiy said with evident irritation.
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(Reporting by Sergiy Karazy; editing by David Ljunggren and Sandra Maler)