Former Ukrainian President Fooled by Prank Call to German Chancellor Merkel

"Let's Discuss Ukraine Invasion and Belarus Situation" Phone Call
Even with an Interpreter... A Russian Comedian's Act

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was reportedly deceived by prank calls from YouTubers and discussed the international situation regarding the Ukraine war.

According to U.S. political media outlet Politico and others on the 20th (local time), Merkel spoke on the phone on the 12th of last month with a man who introduced himself as Petro Poroshenko, former President of Ukraine. He expressed a desire to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Belarus, a Russian ally.

However, it turned out that the man was impersonated by Russian comedians known for prank calls, Bovan (Vladimir Kuznetsov) and Lexus (Alexey Stolyarov). Merkel reportedly did not realize this and even involved an interpreter from the German Foreign Ministry during the call.

Merkel's office stated, "After the call ended, we informed the Foreign Ministry about the impressions felt during the call," but did not disclose specific details.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the recording released on Telegram by Bovan and Lexus, during the call, Merkel reiterated her previous claim that "the Minsk peace agreement bought valuable time for Ukraine." The Minsk peace agreement refers to the peace deal brokered in 2015 by Merkel between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former President Poroshenko. However, President Putin did not uphold the agreement and proceeded to invade Ukraine.

Shortly after Merkel retired in 2021, the Ukraine war broke out, sparking debates about her responsibility. During her 16 years in power, she opposed Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). She is also evaluated as having maintained a neutral stance in relations with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly criticized Merkel, saying this made Russia's invasion easier.

Bovan and Lexus also asked Merkel to speak in Russian, but she reportedly refused. According to the Associated Press, the recording also contains Merkel criticizing the repression by the Belarusian dictatorship.

These YouTubers have previously gained attention by making similar prank calls to French President Emmanuel Macron, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, British singer Elton John, and Prince Harry of the United Kingdom.

When a Russian missile fell in the eastern Polish border area with Ukraine last November, killing two Poles, they impersonated President Macron and made a prank call to Polish President Andrzej Duda. During the 7 minutes and 30 seconds call, while discussing tense international situations involving the U.S. and Russia, President Duda reportedly found the call suspicious and ended it first.