WASHINGTON — Pranksters posing as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine tricked the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome H. Powell, into having a dialog with them in January, in response to video clips lined on Russian state tv and posted on-line.
The ruse — apparently carried out by two Russian comedians who assist President Vladimir V. Putin — concerned asking Mr. Powell questions in regards to the American and international financial system. His feedback look like consistent with what he often expresses in public.
A Fed spokesperson mentioned Mr. Powell participated in a dialog in January with somebody who misrepresented himself because the Ukrainian president, noting that the dialogue came about within the context of the central financial institution’s assist for the Ukrainian folks. The spokesperson mentioned no delicate or confidential info was mentioned.
The video seems to have been edited, and the Fed mentioned it couldn’t affirm its accuracy. The matter has been referred to legislation enforcement, the spokesperson mentioned.
The two males who carried out the prank have additionally tricked different international leaders, together with Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, and Angela Merkel, Germany’s former chancellor.
Source: www.nytimes.com