VLADIMIR Putin has recruited a “secret weapon” to shake things up in an upcoming Western election.
Former personal interpreter to Putin, Daria Boyarskaya, has been brought in to monitor the upcoming Hungarian election.
Once described by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham as a “very attractive brunette woman with long hair, a pretty face, and a wonderful figure,” she has been told to keep a close eye on proceedings in Hungary.
One of Putin’s key allies, Viktor Orban, is currently seeking re-election despite a tough challenge from the opposition.
Opinion polls show Orban trailing his centre-right opponent ahead of the crucial vote on April 12.
A combination of economic pressures and ongoing tensions with the European Union have resulted in a more unified opposition.
In the meantime, it is thought Boyarskaya is coordinating the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly operation to monitor the election.
A Hungarian civil rights group – the Hungarian Helsinki Committee – has since raised concerns about her role.
The group demanded she “be relieved of her duties related to the Hungarian elections to ensure an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality”.
However, the Vienna-based Parliamentary Assembly claimed all concerns were completely unfounded.
One source said: “Those who meet Boyarskaya on a Hungarian election observation mission are at serious risk of getting on Russian intelligence services’ radar themselves.”
Interestingly, this is not the first time someone has taken aim at Boyarskaya and her good looks.
In 2019, US officials became concerned when Putin sidelined a male interpreter to give her the role.
The Trump administration’s then Russia expert Fiona Hill queried her presence at state meetings.
“Putin made a big point of introducing President Trump to the interpreter, which is something he didn’t normally do,” Hill said.
In 2021, Grisham alleged Putin only brought the attractive translator to the G20 summit to distract Trump.
In her book, Grisham said: “As the meeting began, Fiona Hill leaned over and asked me if I had noticed Putin’s translator.
“She proceeded to tell me that she suspected the woman had been selected by Putin specifically to distract our president.”
At the time, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back at the report.“
Interpreters are provided by the foreign ministry at the request of the presidential administration,” Peskov said.
“Putin himself is not involved in this process.”
A long time employee of Russia’s foreign ministry, she is known to have multiple relatives who work for the state or state-linked organisations.
