At a closed meeting of EU leaders with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, held on December 19, 2024 in Brussels, a spy scandal broke out. The translator who participated in the event was caught on forbidden notes. The incident has caused serious concern for European special services and may have a connection with Russian special operations.
The meeting was held as part of a meeting of the European Council at the closed door. The heads of European states and governments discussed critical issues of assistance to Ukraine - in particular, providing 30 billion euros in 2025 for the purchase of weapons and protection of energy infrastructure. Translators at such events are strictly forbidden to make any written records.
However, Czech translators noticed that one of the participants, a translator with the initials of "I", sitting in a neighboring cabin, actively recorded the content of what was said by the participants. The suspicious activity was immediately reported by the Security Service.
The protection quickly intervened: the translator was detained directly during the fixation of information, removed records and removed from the premises. She was immediately deprived of accreditation, and she is now forbidden from the European Commission. The results of the internal investigation were handed over to the Belgian authorities, which decides whether to initiate a criminal case.
Journalists of the French newspaper Le Monde report that the translator "I" was born in a Russian family, lived in Ukraine and maintains professional contacts with Russian officials. The Ukrainian Embassy has officially warned the European Commission that this person should not be admitted to the participation of President Zelensky.
Despite this, it was Ursula von der Liaien, the head of the European Commission, and approved it as a translator for this strategically important meeting. This decision is now criticized in both Kiev and European diplomats.
