Pentagon chief Hegseth distorted a Russian proverb and attributed it to Reagan

The new Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on February 14 during a press conference in Poland distorted a Russian proverb, attributing it to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The minister's speech was broadcast by the Pentagon website.

"You don't have to trust someone to negotiate with them. But as Ronald Reagan said, if you trust ... don't trust, you verify," Hegseth said, referring to the Russian proverb, "Trust, but verify.

It's a proverb Reagan used often in his speeches, having learned it from his adviser, writer Suzanne Massie.

White House: what executive orders Trump approved on day one

The number of laws passed in the U.S. in a single day made history

Last June, at a conference on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine in Switzerland, a Ukrainian translator distorted the meaning of Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni's words during her speech at the event. The translator conveyed the meaning of the politician's words differently, and in his version Meloni allegedly promised to help Kiev put pressure on Moscow to surrender.