The Kremlin softens Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s statements in English-language versions of his remarks published on its official website, reports Verstka, an independent Russian news outlet.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Putin has framed the war to his Russian audience as a conflict orchestrated by the West. In national addresses, he has accused Ukraine’s NATO allies of instigating and prolonging the war, amplifying his anti-Western rhetoric.
Verstka’s analysis of Putin’s remarks suggests the Kremlin has been toning down the Russian president’s translated anti-Western rants since the beginning of invasion. The outlet added that over the course of the war, Putin’s language in general has become less negative and emotionally charged and more diplomatic. Moscow and Washington recently began engaging in talks to bring an end to the war.
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What To Know
Verstka has analyzed almost 100 of Putin’s statements published on the Kremlin’s website from the beginning of Russia’s invasion to the end of last month.
The publication found that the official English translations of Putin’s remarks were often toned down compared to his original statements in Russian. The Russian president’s rhetoric was often presented more neutrally in the translations, with a softened tone and key meanings or messages omitted.
As an example, Verstka cited a statement by Putin in which he said the West “unleashed the war,” which the Kremlin translated as saying, “They were the ones who started this war.”
This “sounds more neutral than in the original,” the outlet wrote.
Putin’s statements to Russian citizens in the Kremlin’s English translations appear less emotional and dramatic. The phrase “we will conquer all” became “we will overcome anything” in the English translation, losing its original intensity. Meanwhile, “we will not allow anyone to meddle in our internal affairs” became “[we will] resist any external interference in our internal affairs.”
While the translations preserved the overall meaning, they toned down the rhetoric, stripped away rhetorical flourishes and softened the speech’s imagery, Verstka reported.
What People Are Saying
Arseniy Kumankov, who studies war legitimization strategies in modern Russia, told Verstka: “When you are attacked, it is clear why you need to defend yourself, but if you are technically the attacker, it takes much more effort to explain what is happening and why troops are being used. This cannot be explained only by logical arguments or dry legal language. It needs to be reinforced by moral, emotional arguments. This is what the Russian authorities have been doing for a long time. As a result, we have seen paradoxical explanations that Russia is not attacking anyone, but simply reacting to threats.”
What Happens Next
Kumankov said that as potential peace talks unfold, Putin’s objective is to craft visions of victory and a new world order—either as a conclusion to the active phase of military operations or as an achievement already taking shape amid the ongoing war. This could be reflected in Putin’s rhetoric moving forward.