Sharp concern about possible Russian espionage has been raised in Brussels over the case of a French-Ukrainian interpreter who allegedly recorded secret conversations between European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to a report in Le Monde on 10 July, the European Commission moved to immediately remove her accreditation, and the case is now being investigated as a possible espionage case. The meeting in question took place on 19 December 2024, just days before the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. At the meeting, European leaders pledged further support for Ukraine, both in the arms sector and in protecting its energy infrastructure.

As the French newspaper reveals, Czech interpreters noticed that their colleague, who was translating from French into Ukrainian, was secretly recording the conversation – something strictly forbidden in closed-door negotiations.

The incident was immediately reported to the relevant security services in Brussels, resulting in the interpreter being suspended and the material being confiscated. The European Commission ceased all cooperation with her, while launching an internal investigation, the findings of which were forwarded to the Belgian authorities, who are now investigating the possibility of espionage for Russia.

The interpreter’s identity has not been released. According to the same report, she comes from a Russian family and her sister, also a translator, has a similar background. One of the sisters was born in Russia, and both have lived for years in Ukraine and have spent the last 20 years working as freelance translators for NATO, the European Commission and the French Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs.

She speaks of a “misunderstanding”

She, however, speaks of a “misunderstanding”, claiming that there was no intent to intercept. Nevertheless, according to a Ukrainian diplomat in Paris, the Ukrainian embassies in France and Brussels had repeatedly refused to hire her for Zelensky’s visits, citing suspicions of her ties to Russian officials.

The issue takes on even greater significance as, according to Le Monde, despite the December incident, the interpreter remained registered as an accredited translator for NATO, the Permanent Representation of France to the EU and French ministries.